As we all know by now, I’m a sucker for retro display technologies, with one such example being that of the humble 7-segment display (don’t talk to me about “humble” – I pride myself on my humility – you’d have to go a long way to find someone more humble than me LOL).
Over the past couple of months, I’ve posted columns on Droolworthy Electromechanical 7-Segment Displays and Slobberworthy Multicolor 7- and 16-Segment Displays.
More recently, I posted a column on an Awesome Clock Using 7-Segment Displays (it really is awesomely awesome, and you can’t get more awesome than that).
Knowing this, and knowing how easily I can be tempted to leap into a new project before I’ve finished any of the myriad endeavors on which I’m already working (like my 12 x 12 NeoPixel and ping pong ball display as described in The Worm Turns) , my so-called friend – the nefarious James “Chewy” Vroman – just sent me a link to this video showing a rather cool pair of servo-driven 7-segment displays.
Sad to relate, the butler had barely commenced the task of mopping the drool off my keyboard when the despicable Chewy followed up with this video of four servo-driven 7-segment displays.
I don’t know about you, but I’m too young for all this excitement. I really feel Chewy is hitting below the belt by playing on my weaknesses in this way.
Hmmm, now I come to think about it, maybe Chewy is living vicariously through me, at least insofar as making things. In fact, the more I cogitate and ruminate on this, the more I realize that – although the disreputable Chewy talks a “big game” with regard to his own hobby projects — I’ve yet to see one of them actually working.
I fear it’s time to issue a challenge. I just dispatched the butler to fetch my “issuing a challenge” trousers. That metaphorical “boing” sound you hear, figuratively speaking, is a symbolical ball allegorically landing on Chewy’s side of the illusory net. Ha! Let’s see how he likes “them apples,” as they say.
They are rather tasty Max. And unlike some other DIY ideas you’ve propounded recently (think split flap displays) not too difficult to implement. I could see these with another dark segment at right angles to the “bright” one, and then hide the segments under an appropriately cut-out thin sheet of something. There would have to be a bit of clearance to enable them to swivel (thinks – maybe you could get round that with rounded segments) but I think the effect would be awesome. You could maybe make the segments in a torpedo-shape, with two colours and black so you’d then have a 2-colour display by rotating them 0 – 90 – 180 degrees with the servos…
I know that the Split-Flap displays would be hard to make right, as described in my “Roll Your Own Split Flap Displays” column: https://www.clivemaxfield.com/roll-your-own-split-flap-displays/ But I’ve been enamored ever since I saw the offerings from Oat Foundry (https://www.oatfoundry.com/) and — more recently — the tempting delights from Vestabord (https://www.vestaboard.com/)
Where’s the challenge in a 7 segment display? Why don’t you make a 16 segment display (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteen-segment_display ) and then you can work with alphanumerics?
I’m not arguing with you — don’t forget my “Slobberworthy Multicolor 7- and 16-Segment Displays” column: https://www.clivemaxfield.com/slobberworthy-multicolor-7-and-16-segment-displays/