Time Collector

A Kinetic Marble Clock

Time Collector kinetic sculpture
Time Collector side profile

By Esteva, Sebastian · Paz Suaznabar, Oscar · Etcheverry, Bernard · Jung, Joelle

Team
4 collaborators
Height
24 inches tall
Materials
Laser-cut wood + 3D print
Status
Fully functional

A 24-inch tall kinetic marble clock — part sculpture, part functioning mechanism. A wheel of marbles rotates through a gear train, with each marble eventually depositing into a collector at the base, marking the passage of time visually rather than with hands or numbers.

The project moved through distinct phases: heavy early sketching and ideation, force and load analysis with free body diagrams of the marble wheel system, a rapid prototype to validate the mechanism, then scaling up to the full-sized final design. We also ran finite element analysis comparing the old vs. new backboard design to make sure the structure could handle the load.

The Journey

From Sketch to Mechanism

Early sketches and ideation
Step 1   Research and ideation — a lot of sketching throughout
Cardboard rapid prototype
Step 2   Rapid prototype — cardboard mock-up of the gear mechanism
Refined wooden prototype
Step 3   Refined design — moving to laser-cut wood and 3D-printed gears
Full force analysis and free body diagrams
Step 4   Full force analysis — power source, actuator, escapement mechanism, gear train, pulley system, and marble receptacle gear train
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