Written on April 7, 2008 – 9:09 am | by Bogdan Alex |
Ancient people were pretty good at telling time with the aid of sundials, but there is some major problem with those devices. When time is so relative and we all feel its presence in our lives, knowing the exact minute or second becomes crucial. Oh yeah, and conventional sundials change their accuracy with the seasons, and the Southern hemisphere inhabitants are forced to read it backwards. Now, if you really are into ancient thingies and also want to know the exact time, I recommend you take a look at an improved version of the sundial.

It’s called the Bulbdial Clock and has no hands, just one pole in the center of the clock. Towards the outer rim we find three light sources of varying heights which revolve around the pole casting shadows on the dial. As you can see in the above image, the light sources are each attached to special rings, which rotate around the pole. There’s the innermost ring that rotates once per minute, analogous to a “second hand”. Then follows the middle ring, which completes a rotation once per hour and casts the “minute hand” shadow. Ultimately, the outer ring rotates once every 12 hours, casting the “hour hand” shadow.

You can use the Bulbdial Clock as a conventional sundial or you can mount it on walls for a more convenient way of telling time across large spaces. The Bulbdial Clock solves all the problems posed by the sundial, but comes with one little issue of its own: it doesn’t work in bright light environments. Heh, can’t be that perfect, eh? That’s why the inventor recommends it for restaurants and nightclubs.