Arduino based Hourglass using Accelerometer and LED Matrix Displays

This digital hourglass project simulates falling sand using modern electronics, an Arduino Pro Mini, and dynamic LED displays. At the core of the system is the MPU6050 accelerometer, which continuously measures spatial orientation and tilt along multiple axes. When you flip the physical acrylic enclosure upside down, the MPU6050 detects this change in angle and transmits the positional data to the Arduino Pro Mini. The microcontroller processes these orientation readings and runs a particle simulation algorithm. Depending on how the hourglass is tilted, the Arduino updates two MAX7219 8x8 LED matrix displays to make the glowing digital 'sand grains' appear to fall from the top matrix to the bottom matrix through a narrow virtual gap. A tactile switch provides user control over modes or resetting the timer sequence. Powering the entire portable circuit is a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. To ensure safety and convenience, a TP4056 lithium battery charging module is integrated into the system, allowing the battery to be safely recharged via a standard power source when energy runs low.