Work Recorder
Prototype
2014
Recording hours when doing commissioned work is boring. Often, we forget it altogether. So we made a prototype for a work recorder.
Yes ... an app could do the same thing. But with a big physical ON/OFF button, the Work Recorder could be just a tad more accessible, which could in turn make the difference.
It works like this: ON
12 LEDs indicate passing minutes and hours.
Hours and minutes are displayed with the same LEDs. Minute intervals of 5 are shown with a low emitting intensity, hours with a high intensity.
Adjust + - 5 minutes
Out for a cigarette, yesterday's forgotten hours, interrupting phone call, sudden meeting, etc.
OFF + Send to a billing system ..
.. a system like Harvest.
Also, the block's 4 sides represents up to 4 different ongoing projects, marked with correlating dots.
This feature is actually not working on the prototype, and also lacks a proper indicator for project in focus.
The device is not about accuracy – it's not a stop watch. Instead, it's intended to calmly run in the background, glanceable for a general idea of time spent.
The prototype actually works! Main components listed below.
Arduino Nano
RTC (+ crystal)
Coin cell battery
Rotary encoder (12 steps)
Natural white LED
Bunch of resistors
It doesn't include a multiplexer. The dimmed minute intervals were achieved by using the Soft PWM library (not too too good for filming tho..)
Also, the code is non-postable, it's an embarrassing mess that makes no sense to no one.
