Temporal Machine Demo 1

The object attached to the hobby servo motor is a pendulum. It is made of cardboard and demonstrates the periodic motion commonly seen in pendulum clocks. A pendulum is a weight that is attached to a central point such that it can swing freely. In the real world, the pendulum requires a force to displace the weight, also known as a bob, to initiate the swinging motion. Eventually the motion ceases due to external forces such as air resistance and friction. In this case, the pendulum is not freely swinging; it is powered by a servo motor that moves the pendulum back and forth. The pendulum will stop moving not due to friction or air resistance but when the Arduino board is powered off. Pendulums are commonly used in clocks, metronomes (a device used by musicians to keep tempo) and seismographs. The generally larger size of a pendulum mechanism means that they are not common in small devices like wristwatches.

The system built is designed to mimic a pendulum commonly seen in clocks, but moves in increments to make the motion more exciting. To help make the system recognizable, the pendulum face is designed to look like a simple clock’s pendulum. This includes creating a complex and appealing pattern on the front face for the viewer to see. The motion is periodic and varying the timescale will only show the same motion at a different pace. What can be noted is upon slowing the motion down, the pendulum can more easily be seen to momentarily come to a stop at the extremes of its motion. The motor is programmed to mimic the stopping of the pendulum at the extremities but has a delay that lasts longer than the real one would.

The motion could be improved by making it seem more natural to the viewer. Currently, the pendulum moves with constant speed and stops at the extremities. The motion of the pendulum is non-linear. It speeds up to be the fastest at the point of lowest potential energy i.e. the lowest point on the path of motion. It gradually slows down when it approaches the points of minimal kinetic energy rather than abruptly decelerating.

The pendulum is a system that is time-based and repeating in nature. It is predictable and rhythmic.

CODE

/*importing library*/
#include "Servo.h";
/*SERVO_PIN is the output pin from the board*/
const int SERVO_PIN = 9;
/*Servo is called Demo1*/
Servo Demo1;
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);

  Demo1.attach(SERVO_PIN); 

}

void loop() {
  void loop() {
   Servo1.write(0); 
   delay(1000); 
   Servo1.write(90); 
   delay(1000); 
   Servo1.write(180); 
   delay(1000); 
  
}