Arc reactor alarm clock
By Ben Everard. Posted
This article was originally published as part of HackSpace magazine, which has since been incorporated into Raspberry Pi Official Magazine.
We are – or at least, we used to be – huge fans of the Marvel cinematic universe and all the props and cosplay that it has given us over the years. One classic of the genre is Iron Man’s arc reactor — the glowing power source that sits in Tony Stark’s chest and powers his special suit. It’s almost a cosplay rite of passage to build your own arc reactor, so here’s our favourite implementation: an arc reactor that’s also an alarm clock.
As an arc reactor is basically a round, glowing thing, it should come as no surprise that Jéjé starts with an off-the-shelf NeoPixel ring, powered by a Mini ESP32. The structure that holds the electronics is printed out of black and transparent PLA, and there are ten coils of copper wire – these don’t do anything, but they do look extremely cool.

Jéjé’s provided detailed instructions for anyone who wants to make their own version, so you too can tell the time like a fictional genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.
Make beautiful beats with the complete Raspberry Pi music production toolkit.
Ben is the Editor of HackSpace magazine. When not wrangling words, he enjoys cycling, gardening, and attempting to identify wild mushrooms.
Subscribe to Raspberry Pi Official Magazine
Save up to 37% off the cover price and get a FREE Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with a subscription to Raspberry Pi Official Magazine.
More articles
Mermaid in the shell
Satin and real freshwater pearls complete the look for the mermaid who needs root access in style
Read more →
Sequino clock
This tricky build was inspired by a child’s t-shirt
Read more →
Use a robot to build a robot
This glorious, (mostly) 3D printed robot has six degrees of freedom.
Read more →