Croakers' Chronometer

If you smile at the frogs, some of them will vibrate. By understanding the movement, one can tell time--a shaky operation.

Frogs "looking up" represent hours in binary (left to right; 8,4,2,1).

Frogs "looking forward" represent minutes in binary multiplied by five (left to right; 40, 20, 10, 5).

Smiles are detected by a Google AIY vision kit (camera behind the frog in the booth).

Frogs were made by my wife, Annelle, using polymer clay. They were part of the "Froggy World" project a few years ago.

Google AIY vision kit

(2) Arduino Uno

5 volt power supply (5 amp)

(8) micro motors (3 volt)

Pushbutton switch

Polymer clay

3d printed parts

Relay

(8) 2n3904 transistors

(8) 1n4007 diodes

(8) 100 ohm resistors

Photo resistor

1/4 inch plywood

(16) 3mm x 6mm screws

Paint

Wire

Solder

The Google AIY Vision kit includes smile detection in the default setup mode. The "hat" atop the cardboard Google assembly is a LED button that changes color when a smile is detected. A photo resistor can be used to detect that change. With "no face," I measured 12 K ohms across the photo resistor. With "face detected," 1.8 K shows up on the photo resistor. With "smile detected," .6 K is measured on the photo resistor.

Detecting a smile causes a relay to operate, providing power to the motors that shake the frogs.

Print and assemble the lilypad spacers.

Cut the top from plywood. Drill holes and paint.

Solder wire wrap wire to the motors.

Insert the motor into the canister.

Screw 3mm screws into the "wobbler."

Press the wobbler onto the motor shaft.

Run the motor wires through plastic bolts that have been inserted in the top of the lilypad.

These bolts prevent the cans from turning around and moving out of position when vibrating.

Insert the cans on the pad.

Glue a piece of wood to the lower lilypad base.

Add velcro to the wood and attach the lower and upper lilypads.

Wire according to the schematic diagram in step #2.

Place the cap over the top of the Google AIY Vision kit--we don't want ambient light to impact smile detection.

Secure the frogs using duct tape.

Velcro the "Smile Booth" to the lilypad--angled upward so that the camera will "see" someone looking at the clock.

Smile . . . then perform binary math and multiplication to tell the time :)