3D-Printed Sundial Engineered to Display Time like a Digital Clock

digital clock

Long before there were digital watches, there was the sundial–a device that tells the time of day by the position of the sun in the sky. They're harder to read than our modern means of time telling, until now. Etsy shop Mojoptix has created a 3D-printed version of the sundial that displays the actual digits as it moves with the sun.

Aptly called the Digital Sundial, it's a plastic wand with a series of holes that are cut into it. To figure out the precise dot placement, Motoptix had to calculate the angle of the sun as it travels across the sky, which allows the device to “digitally” show the approximate time. It's an extremely impressive improvement on the sundial, but the product does have its limitations: it only displays times from 10AM to 4PM in 20-minute increments.

You can purchase your own Digital Sundial through Etsy, which comes as a kit that you assemble. Alternatively, you can download the design files and print the clock at home. If you're interested in how Motoptix created the ingenious product, watch him explain it the video, below.

It reads like a digital clock, but is actually a 3D printed sundial.

digital clock

digital sundial

digital sundial

digital sundial
The unassembled kit.

Motoptix: Website | Etsy
via [Mental Floss, Gizmodo]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits

Sponsored Content