Custom LED Sunrise Alarm Clock

Tired of waking up to a beeping alarm clock, or music from your phone? This DIY sunrise alarm clock presents another option. It uses light from a WS2812B LED strip diffused across a series of acrylic rods to ease one awake by gradually increasing the light it emits in a simulated sunrise.

A DIY barebones Arduino board is used for control, along with an RTC module to keep accurate time. User input is via a rotary dial to configure the clock time, alarm settings, and the brightness of the “wake up” LEDs.

A potentiometer is also employed to adjust the 7-segment display that shows the actual time. While a second encoder could have been implemented for extra functionality, the potentiometer was used instead to avoid programming complications.

The electronics are buried in a nice trunk box that you might find at a hobby store or online, and the light from the LEDs is diffused through a series of acrylic rods with bubbles permanently embedded inside. The effect looks quite pleasant, and should present a colorful and pleasant way to start your day, rather than the rude interruption from our peaceful hibernation that most of us are accustomed to!