Sooner or later, every computer user plans or imagines making modifications to their PC case. Maybe for better ventilation, replacing a panel, or simply changing its color. However, the YouTube channel Ideal Idea decided to pursue a much more complex goal: a kinetic case, with aesthetic details in constant motion.
The folks at CyberPowerPC appeared at the 2022 edition of CES and showed the public their Kinetic Case, a case with 18 motorized air intakes. The idea of a variable physical configuration that responds to the thermal situation inside the computer definitely captured users' attention… but we're a breath away from the end of 2023, and the case still hasn't appeared.
So, if we don't have an official product, why not go DIY? That's exactly what Ideal Idea on YouTube did, although his plan was to prioritize the computer's aesthetics, not its temperature. Instead of "attacking" the whole case, he decided to create a special structure that adapts to his current setup. The advantage is that he can easily replace the "kinetic component", essentially swapping one front for another.
Kinetic computer: the future of PC design?
The full video is over 25 minutes long, but it's worth watching from start to finish. The painting process required some additional adjustments due to the poor initial finish, however, it doesn't take long to move on to designing the first circular pattern. With the help of six discs and a series of gears, the final optical illusion is truly fabulous, though none of this would be possible without a good dose of Arduino, a robust motor, and several tweaks to the gears so they spin correctly.
Even more impressive is the second design. The 14 original pieces transformed into 885, and when testing with smaller models, he discovered he was heading for a nightmare. Four days of work later, the nightmare became reality: there are too many gears, and they jam very easily.
Back to the worm system he had imagined at the beginning, combined with a mix of printed and laser-cut gears, the second design ended up working perfectly. The plastic parts anticipate wear issues and other tolerance details… but nobody can deny it looks great.
