# Clever Toy-Tweaked Time-Tellers The Arduino Etch-A-Sketch Clock Offers a Playful Way to Tell Time By Meghan Young | Published 2014-03-28 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/arduino-etchasketch-clock References: [neatorama](http://www.neatorama.com/2014/03/27/This-Clock-Automatically-Writes-the-Time-on-an-Etch-A-Sketch/) & [instructables](http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Etch-A-Sketch-Clock/?ALLSTEPS) There are plenty of people out there that abhor the idea of clocks and everything they entail (the passing of time, deadlines and more), but the [Arduino](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plug-and-make-kit) Etch-A-Sketch Clock puts a playful spin on it that most will be hard-pressed not to appreciate. As its name gives away, it is a [time-teller](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dozen-clock) made out of the [retro toy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/minimalist-flip-clock). The Arduino Etch-A-Sketch Clock has been attached to a system of pulleys that turn the knobs that form the lines on the screen. These two pulleys are controlled by a pre-existing body of code that, with a pair of overpowered stepper motors mounted a frame of acrylic sheets, turn the knobs to tell the time. It was created by Instructables member dodgey99. Dodgey99 has provided a step-by-step guide to create one's own. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.3/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 61% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/toys) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Retro-inspired Time-tellers:** Opportunity for toy companies to create unique time-telling products using nostalgic toys as a base. - **Playful Technology Integration:** Opportunity for electronics companies to introduce playful and unconventional technologies into their products. - **User-generated Product Innovation:** Opportunity for product manufacturers to engage users and encourage experimentation through providing step-by-step guides. ### Who This Affects Most - **Toy Manufacturing:** Toy companies can leverage nostalgic toys to create unique and playful time-telling products. - **Electronics Manufacturing:** Electronics companies can incorporate playful and unconventional technologies into their products. - **Product Manufacturing:** Product manufacturers can encourage user-generated product innovation through providing instructional guides and involving users in the design process. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Mechanical Digital Mesmerizing Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/triaxial-numechron-clock.md) - [Printed Fortune Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/houracle.md) - [Nostalgic 3D-Printed Arcade Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/arcade-clock.md) - [Kinetic Pattern Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moir-clock.md) - [Snowglobe-Inspired Dynamic Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/time-to-snow.md) - [Minimal Sculptural Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trace-line.md) - [Analog-Style Digital Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/klydoclock.md) - [Flowing Light Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crydal-scroll-clock.md) - [Unique Timekeeping Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unique-timekeeping-device.md)