Time is Ticking! (CQ Sandra)

Image of Final Project
Screenshot of some of my code

Inspiration: Alice in Wonderland!! Inspired by the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, I wanted to bring a magical timepiece to life using Arduino. This project features a real-time clock display and a special warning message when time is running out—just like in the story!

What it Does: This project is a digital pocket watch that displays the current time (hours, minutes, and seconds) on a 16×2 LCD screen. It features a “time-speed toggle” button to increase time flow (just like the chaos in Wonderland!). A second button allows me to go “Back in Time”. When the clock reaches 15 minutes, the LCD screen scrolls a special message: “Warning: The Queen of Hearts is coming!!”

Challenges I ran into:

Wiring the components together!
No I2C module (I had to wire the LCD manually using 6 pins instead)
Button debouncing issues.
Scrolling text logic (I had to ensure it only scrolls once per cycle at the 15-minute mark)
Timekeeping accuracy (I had to adjust the loop timing to ensure smooth and correct second increments)

What I learned: Thank You ACM for giving me this opportunity to learn! The Arduino workshop really helped me gain the confidence to attempt this project.

How to use an Arduino
How to interface an LCD with Arduino without I2C.
How to use buttons effectively with state tracking to avoid repeated triggers.
How to scroll text dynamically on an LCD screen.
How to simulate time control (speeding up & reversing time).

What’s next for my Project:

Add a real-time clock (RTC) module to track actual time.
Add a buzzer to play the White Rabbit’s “I’m late! I’m late!” warning sound from the movie.
Create a website to set alarms or display time remotely!