Building a clock should be a rewarding project for anyone from a beginning tinkerer to a seasoned craftsperson. Unfortunately for Texas 9th-grader Ahmed Mohamed, his home-built circuit-board clock project instead resulted in handcuffs, as his teachers mistook the project for a bomb rather than an extracurricular project from a motivated and engaged student.
The incident has sparked a wide discussion, with the Twitter hashtag #IStandWithAhmed reaching the top of the trending list today.
Make: has posted our feelings on the situation, and we reiterate our full support for eager youngsters like Ahmed, amazing young Makers who want to embrace STEAM education and who have the promise to grow into amazing technological roles as they progress into adulthood.
We’re following the story and will keep everyone updated; meanwhile, here are some clock projects you can build to help show Ahmed, the Irving School District, and the world as a whole, that being creative and curious is not a crime.
Set up for Meetings, Appointments, Reminders, and Tasks, this clock uses an Arduino Yún and your Google Calendar to automatically set alarms.
An Arduino Nano, some LEDs, and a clever placement of letters combines into a timepiece worthy of a designer bookshelf.
Features a retro Russian display tube and a clear plastic case so you can appreciate the inner workings of this fantastic gadget!
Wake up gently with a gradually increasing amount of light
Learn about the gearing involved in a clock by 3D printing and assembling them yourself with this proof-of-concept project
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