An ingenious invention, the Metronalmost, created by IT manager Mike Coats, aims to thwart the goals of Hackaday’s One Hertz Challenge. This unique metronome is designed to never tick exactly once per second, further enhancing its reputation for ingenuity and frustration.

The Mechanics Behind the Frustration

Unlike conventional metronomes, the Metronalmost uses a hobby servo that deliberately avoids maintaining a consistent tick. Coats engineered it using complex programming, incorporating a nonlinear function that prevents the device from achieving a perfect one-second rhythm.

He explains:

*“This new number mapping function maps 0.0 to 0.0 and 1.0 to 1.0 as normal, but maps 0.49 to 0.45 and 0.50 to 0.54. The discontinuity means a value of 0.5 can never be generated.”

The unique tempos on Coats’ device range from ‘dial-up’ to ‘warp’, elevating the humorous potential of this crafty creation. As he admits, being around this metronome can be frustrating:

“Leaving the Metronalmost running for any length of time puts your nerves on edge.”