There are many things I don’t know. One of them is what a steampunk sundial might look like. I kind of know what steampunk is, and I know what a sundial is, but combine the two, and I’m at a loss.

But not the NightCafe AI Art Generator.

The actual prompt was for a steampunk sundial on the bridge of a naval ship (as opposed to a spaceship).

I have no way of disproving or confirming the accuracy of these renderings. . . but they look interesting.

I suppose that looks a bit like them gadgets you see in old ships. You know, the dial that’s used to convey engine speed to the poor slobs sweating as they shovel coal down in the engine room.

While we were in Long Beach, we visited the Queen Mary museum (the actual ship turned into a museum), and there certainly were brass contraptions that vaguely resemble the above, but not as intricate.

I’m assuming the AI equated ‘sundial’ with a time-keeping piece because some of the gears resemble the innards of watches.

Regardless, I wasn’t quite seeing the sundial or a ship’s bridge, so I tried again.

OK, whatever that is, it looks neat, and these next two certainly incorporate elements of clocks . . .

The last one looks like it could — once properly marked — function as a sundial. And the next one is definitely a cross between a trumpet and a Roman Numerals clock . . . but it still lacks sundialiness.

Feeling on the verge of a breakthrough, I modified the prompt to indicate the steampunk sundial should at least be flat on a pedestal or table . . .

Hmm . . . they look more like tricked-out roulette wheels . . . ones I’d not trust to be fair.

I really, really wanted something with the semblance of a sundial, so I tweaked the prompt and tried again . . .

OK, I admit . . . it’s an interesting mix showing elements of the previous offerings. I named them, so I must’ve been impressed.

Once it became evident the AI had no better clue than me what a steampunk sundial might look like, I gave up on the project.

By the way, as usual, you can click on the images, and a larger version will open in a new tab or window. If your cursor is a ‘plus’ sign, it means you can click to further zoom in.

If you want to see the originals, the SmugMug Gallery is HERE. You can also scroll through the slideshow below.

Slideshow of the Steampunk Sundials Gallery — 20 photos.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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