Time Machine in Colour (Working Title)

So this is the latest work I have been making. It is a categorical time keeping machine with 24 hourglasses representing the 24 hours of the day starting from Sunrise. I will wear a wrist computer with 3 variable inputs: work, rest and play. The percentage of each catorgorie is relayed to the machine via the power of the internet. (eg. 50%work 10%play 40%Rest = me sitting on the day bed updating this blog)

These percentages are translated into the three coloured sand variables – Green for work, purple for rest and pink for play.  In real time (or in the time it takes to get from my wrist computer to the machine  1-3mins) the sand percentages are portioned out via the “sand filling station” into the “robotic sand carrier”. Once the hour is up the robotic carrier takes the sand to the corresponding hour glass and empties it in and returns to the filling station to log the next hour.

The sand transferred to the hourglass the different colour sands begin to mix together creating a new category. The sand collects in the bottom of the hourglasses until  an hour before the start of the next day, when all the hourglasses are tipped over allowing their sand to pour out creating piles on the floor which get larger over the length of the exhibition.

To go about this work… which may just be the most mechanically complicated work as yet I have decided to create a model!

The full size work will use ‘hour’ glasses which are quite large, so i am substituting them for egg timers in the model:

A temporary brace.

I have upgraded from Mecano to vex robotics! Just received this in the post! happy days.

The first thing i built is this linear slide using pinion and rack gear – it will be used to move the robotic carrier from the “filling station” to the hourglasses.

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