The Weasley Family Clock Project

I came across this project stumbling around the internet for interesting things, as I tend to do from time to time. I thought it was a great example of a practical use for some of the electronics stuff I have been learning in school. It also serves to feed my Harry Potter hunger. (Long live Dumbledore's Army!) I might not be at this stage of the game yet, but it would certainly be cool to work towards. 

It makes use of LED's, and a micro-controller connected via wi-fi. It connects to each family member's smartphones via an app (If This, Then That) to geo-locate the family member and communicate that location to the clock. This lights up the corresponding family member with their pre-set locations. 

That app has many more uses. It can be used to connect to your HUB wi-fi connected light bulbs; NEST home thermostat; Belkin's WeMo, a plug adapter that you plug your corded device (like a coffee maker, or your Christmas lights). The WeMo is a wifi enabled device that can also be controlled by this app. Oh the world of home automation!

The Weasley Family Clock Project

Harry Potter fans can swoon over this awesome DIY project. The Weasley Family clock is situated in the living room of The Burrow. It has 9 golden hands- one for every member of the household. Rather than numbers on the face of the clock, it had locations: home, school, work, travelling, lost, hospital, prison, and mortal peril.

Redditor tbornottb3 has successfully recreated this wizarding marvel for muggle use.

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The Weasley Clock as seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

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This was the starting point for the whole project. Tbornottb3’s version of the clock has such options as home, work, holiday, forest, on the way, and- who could forget, mortal peril. How does “Mortal peril” get triggered? “Whatever each person wanted,” Tbornottb3 says. “For example, my sister has it triggered by a forecast of too-cold weather, and I have it triggered by the radius of our rival school.”

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The original blueprints were of course simply scribbled on a bare bit of parchment, then handed off to his mate who would transfer it all into Adobe Illustrator.

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The clock was then laser engraved to add the proper details. A Particle Photon connects via a breadboard to an addressable LED strip, says Tbornottb3.

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To pull off something like this, there was a ton of coding to be done. He needed to “Hermione” his way through the numbers.

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Using a program called If This Then That , Tbornottb3 explains that if any of his family members’ phones entered certain designated areas, the photon would be alerted. For example, if he were to enter his dorm room, he would then be automatically set to”home”. Brilliant.

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This is the view from the back.

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This is the finished product. You see that “B” at the bottom? It illuminates a different colour for each family member just before it updates their whereabouts.

Here is the link where I found this beauty of an idea:

http://thechive.com/2016/02/18/someone-made-their-own-weasley-family-clock-8-photos/