This Clock Tells Time With "Lively Blobs" and Electromagnets

The fluidity of time just got a little more literal. The Ferrolic clock, designed by Zelf Koelman of the Eindhoven University of Technology, displays the time with ferromagnetic fluid, a liquid that is extremely sensitive to magnetic fields. The display is sort of like a little aquarium in which the ferrofluid can move around freely. Lurking behind the chamber are electromagnets that can shape the inky substance into time displays, text, and trippy transitions. New animations can be added through an app connected to the clock, and, as seen in the video below, it’s almost like making a silent film on your nightstand.

Koelman writes of the design:

“A few years ago I fell in love with the magical characteristics of a little black ‘blob’ in a bottle. One could manipulate the position and shape of a floating drop of Ferro Fluid with a magnet. The dynamics and shape of this liquid body was much like a living entity. I decided to allow this entity to live its own life and have a function. A year of research and engineering eventually resulted in Ferrolic."

For now, only 24 Ferrolic clocks have been made and they cost a pretty penny at about $8,300 each. If you’ve got the liquid cash to do it, they will continue to be produced in small batches and can be preordered through its website.

[h/t Fast Company]