technology 24 for you: Make a Soft Digital Clock Tick With Millifluidics

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/a-desktop-with-a-red-silicone-surface-where-a-typical-clock-would-have-7-segment-leds-numbers-are-formed-from-concave-depressio.png?id=66826918&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=188%2C0%2C189%2C0"/> Electrons are great. We use them to move vehicles, illuminate cities, and, of course, compute. But computation is not confined to the world of electronics. And shifting to alternative nonelectronic realms can unlock unique advantages: Photonic chips, for instance, process information with light while generating little heat. Another compelling alternative is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluidics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fluidics</a>, which uses pressurized gases or liquids to build logic circuits. Pioneered in the 1960s but sidelined by microchips, the field reemerged in the 1990s as “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microfluidics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">microfluidics</a>.” This approach aims to shrink laboratories onto a single chip by creating microscopic fluid channels with integrated micropneumatic control systems.Today, there is a second fluidic revival, this time in the domain of <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/soft-robot" target="_self">soft robotics</a>. Scaling microfluidic designs up to the millimeter-scale range (millifluidics) enables the higher flow rates necessary to drive robotic actuators. These robots exploit the nonlinear behaviors of soft materials to create lifelike motion and safer interactions, often utilizing pressurized air.By building systems that “think” with the same air that powers them, we can drastically reduce the need for bulky electronic-to-pneumatic interfaces. This is the focus of my <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/soiboi/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Soiboi Studio</a> robotics lab. With millifluidic logic, I have steadily scaled the complexity of my designs. What began with a simple oscillator has most recently evolved into a clock featuring a soft, four-digit, seven-segment display.<h2>What Is Millifluidics?</h2>Building on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/JMEMS.2007.906080" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">microfluidics research from the early 2000s</a> and recent developments from the <a href="https://groverlab.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grover Lab at the University of California, Riverside</a>, I’ve developed millifluidic devices using standard 3D printing and silicone casting. The basic architecture is simple: A flexible membrane is sandwiched between rigid layers embedded with networks of air channels.Just as electronics rely on differing voltage potentials, these fluidic circuits operate on the pressure difference between atmospheric pressure (logical 0) and a near-vacuum at around −60 kilopascals of relative pressure (logical 1). Using negative pressure means the membrane is pulled into openings. This creates robust seals that allow me to replicate electronic building blocks. <img alt="Major components of the soft clock. " class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4b17b5a0dc5c53a4d0f73fdfdd0db0d6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="cc1f8" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/major-components-of-the-soft-clock.png?id=66826949&width=980"/> A cast silicone membrane forms the face of the clock [top], while behind it sits 3D-printed millifluidic blocks [middle rows]. An Arduino Uno controls driver boards that operate solenoids, which are connected to valves that are attached to a vacuum pump [bottom row].James ProvostWhile fluidic resistors are easily realized by adjusting the channel geometry, the heart of the system is a valve that mimics a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/JMEMS.2002.803414" target="_blank">MOSFET</a>. This vacuum “<a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/transistor-timeline" target="_blank">transistor</a>” features a flow layer with two chambers (the source and drain) divided by a central valve seat and a control layer containing a cavity (the gate). A membrane runs between the control and flow layers and normally prevents airflow between the source and drain chambers. To switch the transistor on, a vacuum is applied to the gate chamber, sucking the membrane into the cavity and lifting it off the seat. This opens a path for airflow, equivalent to closing an electric circuit. By adding a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1637" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">small aperture to the membrane,</a> I created a check valve—the fluidic equivalent of a diode. By combining transistors and resistive “pull-down” channels, I can build a full suite of logic gates.The original microfluidic designs that inspired me were fabricated from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-4005(02)00468-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">etched glass</a> and milled acrylic. Adapting them for a standard 3D printer required reengineering the logic elements and mastering two critical fabrication techniques.First, I need airtight prints, yet printed plastic is notoriously porous. By printing at elevated temperatures, slow speeds, and slight overextrusion, I was able to fill microscopic gaps. When you’re using transparent filament, there’s a handy visual indicator: The more transparent the plastic appears, the lower its porosity.Second, I used glass for my print bed. By printing the upper and lower chambers directly against this bed, I got the interface surface to become mirror smooth. This finish is essential for creating reliable, airtight seals. A 0.3-millimeter silicone membrane is placed between the layers and secured with screws. <h2>How Does the Soft Clock Work?</h2>The clockface is a cast silicone membrane. Each digit segment is formed by a small underlying cavity. When air is evacuated from this cavity, the membrane is sucked inward to create a concave hollow; when atmospheric pressure is restored, the silicone pops back flush with the surface. The result is a mesmerizing, organic motion.The “brain” of the clock is an <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-making-of-arduino" target="_blank">Arduino Uno</a>, while the fluidics significantly reduce the hardware footprint. A four-digit, seven-segment display with two separator dots would require 29 solenoid valves to control directly. My clock needs just 11 valves. <img alt="An illustration of the three chambers of a pneumatic transistor, with two lower chambers separated by a wall overlaid by a membrane, with an upper chamber straddling the wall." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6c1953705eb5c8b75c479ab1cef68107" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="b7db3" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-illustration-of-the-three-chambers-of-a-pneumatic-transistor-with-two-lower-chambers-separated-by-a-wall-overlaid-by-a-membr.png?id=66826932&width=980"/> A pneumatic transistor is off when its upper control chamber is at atmospheric pressure [top]. When air is removed from the control chamber, it lifts a membrane, which allows air to flow between lower flow chambers and turns the transistor on [bottom]. James ProvostTo understand how it works, consider a standard electronic <a href="https://cdn.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Components/LED/1LEDREDCC.pdf" target="_blank">four-digit, seven-segment LED display</a>. This also uses 11 pins to drive its digits. (In clockface displays, an additional pin is required to drive the separator dots.) Every digit is connected to a shared data bus with seven lines, one per segment. The four control lines select individual digits. Only one digit is illuminated at time, and strobing the digits at least 50 times per second creates the illusion that all four are simultaneously illuminated.Such high-speed switching is not possible with air. Instead, I rely on memory. Each segment acts like a capacitor: By evacuating its cavity (logic 1), you “charge” the segment; by restoring atmospheric pressure (logic 0), you discharge it. Hence, each digit acts as an independent 7-bit memory. If the system is sufficiently airtight, the segments maintain their state for several seconds.Like the electronic display, the system utilizes a seven-line data bus. Each line connects to a solenoid valve that provides either vacuum or atmospheric pressure. To selectively address the individual digits, I placed a fluidic transistor between each segment and its data line. All the transistors’ control inputs for a given digit are combined into one “write enable” line connected to its own solenoid valve. Activating this valve allows me to write data into the corresponding digit’s memory.The clock updates one digit per second, meaning a full cycle across the face takes 4 seconds. This cycle also drives the separator dots: A set of fluidic diodes connects the enable lines to the dots’ cavities. Consequently, as each digit is addressed, the dots pulse automatically.This display is more than a clock; it is a soft robot that happens to tell time. By offloading computation to the same air that powers movement, the clock approaches a new class of machines that are simpler, lighter, and more integrated. I’m now developing a guide for getting started with vacuum-powered logic and may release a refined version of this clock in the future. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1BLGpE5zH0" target="_blank">Watching the silicone skin morph</a> serves as a fascinating reminder that not all logic needs silicon; sometimes, all you need is flexible silicone and a flow of air. This article appears in the June 2026 print issue as “The Soft Clock.” Reference: https://ift.tt/R9x4Ppf

technology 24 for you

Friday, May 29, 2026

Make a Soft Digital Clock Tick With Millifluidics

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Make a Soft Digital Clock Tick With Millifluidics