During the Vienna Design Week 2015, Breaded Escalope Austrian Design Studio from the same City showcased its innovative and unique clock that uses shadows to reveal the time when a finger is placed within its face. The aptly named Shadowplay Clock, it mounted to a wall, and made up of a raised plywood ring with LEDs underneath that shine through. By putting a finger in the middle of the circle, you activate a series of sensors that turn off all but three of the lights. The Hour and minute-shadows are stronger.
The Shadow of the Secondshand is subtle. These sensors are connected to an Arduino, which is responsible for relaying the signal.
“At 1st sight this clock is just some ambient light on the wall, until finally you interact with it,” Breaded Escalope co-founder Michel Tatschl said. “Then it truly tends to make you to the most important component of the whole idea.”