The Competition
Competed in PhysTech 2026 by building and submitting a hardware watch using Arduino — my first embedded systems project. Placement results aren't announced yet; this page will be updated once they are.
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The companion app linked above is a Progressive Web App — installable on Android via Chrome's "Add to Home screen" for a native-app feel.
About
What it is: PhysTech is a competition combining physics and technology challenges. My entry is a hardware watch built with Arduino — a first dive into embedded systems and physical computing after working exclusively in software.
What I built: A functional wristwatch using an Arduino microcontroller. The project covers reading a real-time clock module, driving a display, managing power, and writing firmware in C/C++ — none of which I'd done before.
What I learned: Arduino programming (C/C++), wiring and breadboarding hardware components, reading datasheets, real-time clock (RTC) modules, and how embedded loops and interrupts differ from the event-driven and server-driven code I'm used to.
Why this project: Every prior project has been pure software. Building something physical that you can wear is a different kind of challenge — and the constraint of working with hardware instead of just redeploying code made the problem-solving more interesting.
Progress
Status
Finished and submitted the hardware watch build. Placement results aren't announced yet — check back for updates.
Tech Stack
Arduino (C/C++), RTC module for timekeeping, a display driver, and breadboard wiring — all new territory coming from a software-only background.
New Skills
Embedded C/C++, reading hardware datasheets, RTC modules, interrupt-driven programming, and the fundamentals of wiring physical components.
Goal
Shipped a working wristwatch and submitted it for competitive placement — building a hardware foundation that has no equivalent in any prior project. Results are pending.
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