Project: Helios - concept, design and planning

[Langer]

Hello everyone, Langer here - some of you may know me from the still in progress PrometheusCU (*link) case mod project, or perhaps even from my eeePC mods (*link*) which help start the netbook modding craze.

First I'd like to give a brief introduction on who it is that I am:

I am a technologist and an experience designer; specializing in usability design.

Behind my work is a passion for innovation, firmly rooted in a love for technology.

In 2010 I graduated from the Digital Design program at Vancouver Film School.

Jesselang.ca was created as a forum to publish my work, thoughts, and discoveries.

JLI, jesse lang innovation, is my personal brand and the banner under which I work.

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I've been and active posting member in the computer modding community since about 2004. My last large project - a case mod called project: PrometheusCU is soon coming to an end and I am beginning the planning phase of my next massive case-mod project.

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I'm calling my next mod project: Helios

Note that this is the third and final (for now) revision before this plan hits 3D mock-ups.

A quick overview of the features and design details of the design:

- Room enough for and easy access to 2x420mm Radiators

- Integrated reservoirs and 4xPumps

- Constructed from 0.25" Grade 38 Titanium plate

- Motherboard can be removed without disconnect from tubing or wire harness

- All wires are run out the top and back of the chassis, which also creates a storage cavity

- Absolutely no visible fasteners on the chassis

- The case will be held together without the use of screws, fasteners, bolts, or adhesives

- Will features 2 independent cooling loops

- Blacked-out and filtered air intakes in the chassis

- Side panels will be removable in seconds without any latch, fastener, or tool

- All bolts, fittings, and hardware will made from be stainless steel

- All bushed and nickel plated cooling gear

- All tubes and wires will be sleeved in milspec quality nylon multifilament sleeving

- There will be no side windows, instead the components will be exposed to the elements

- The entire chassis will feature some type of exotic coating, such as a rubberizing perhaps

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Here's change-log for revision3.0:

1) Pumps have been flipped and are now side mounted - pumping upwards

2) Custom reservoirs replaced with EK (possible IandH) options mounted directly to pump-top

3) Tubing layout redesigned to consider a more efficient routing

4) Much more finite consideration of power and data wire routing

5) Altered position and orientation of modified PSU, fan now blows up and wires run out the front/back of the PSU

6) Moved location of chassis USB ports and power switch to the motherboard tray backplane

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*images*

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Don't forget to follow me over on Facebook:

Tune in on the JLI Facebook page for exclusive info, and prize opportunities.

*link*

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If you have any comments, suggestions of opinions on the design please share them.

I'm looking for some critical feedback on my design before it hits the fabrication stage, and any issue no matter how small can be overlooked.

Thanks for the suggestions and help everyone - watch this space in the coming weeks as this design unfolds to become a reality.

*j

 

[Langer]

Hmm, it seems as though I cannot upload images just yet.

Until I can contact a moderator the good part will unfortunately have to wait.

[edit]It also seems as though I cannot actually PM anyone either, so I suppose I'll just have to wait for a mod to notice my struggle. If anyone is willing to put in a few minutes time on my behalf to contact a mod for me, it would be greatly appreciated[/edit]

*j

 

[Langer]

I have another dozen of so images to share today.

May I request that someone contacts a moderator on my behalf? Thank you.

 

[AMDFTW]

it wont help fella,you have to get your posts up (DONT SPAM) i think its 15 or 20 fella

 

[Langer]

I did read that, however as it is clearly obvious that I am no spammer I assumed such things could be overlooked.

I update my mods across about 35forums, and I don't have time to participate actively in most of them (of course there are some that I've been with for many years now which I follow actively).

So unless we can carry on this friendly chat for another 10posts or so... this thread will just have to remain a place for imaginations to run wild.

Sorry about that folks, I really was quite excited to share my work here - however I can't afford to dedicate more than a couple hours a day to the online updates.

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Perhaps we could turn it around - I've given you the details - lets see what kind of concepts you folks can come up with. It could be a fun exercise in backwards modding collaboration. haha

If you're really eager for a sneak peak - you're likely to find this thread on just about every major modding/cumputer enthusiast site.

*j

 

[AMDFTW]

can you not contact mods urself i dont think you need a certain post count to contact them

 

[Langer]

As a new user I cannot make a PM, nor even access my UserCP (which is a tad annoying as it currently emails me when someone posts).

I figured someone of authority would see this thread eventually and set the world right.

*j

 

[Youngie1337]

www.sqi.sh -

 

[Langer]

I think I've missed something here. How does a URL shortener help me?

(as a side note I actually have my own URL shortening service - so it's unlikely I'll be using a 3rd party one, simply in the interest of analytics)

Or is it that sqi.sh is some-how in cahoots with this forum and I can use it freely without concern of moderator permission? (This is my blue-sky mind taking off of my again I think though)

 

[meh]

Love the idea of the slide out mobo tray, the CAD drawings look amazing!

 

[Langer]

Thank you very much sir.

The moterhboard tray is designed to be removed without disconnecting any tubes or wires.

There is a cavity in the middle of the chassis which holds an additional 24" length of all wires/tubes that run to to the motherboard.

The designs were all drawn in Illustrator actually (and on my little eeePC 1008HA no-less), there's CAD here just yet.

The perspective drawings were created to scale by using a technique intented in the renaissance called projection mapping. Essentially you use linear views (front, left, top, bottom, etc) as guides for the perspective view.

 

[Langer]

A user by the name of NFC over on the XS forums presented a very interesting point to me this afternoon. I think it would be a good opportunity to share the concern, and express my beliefs and intentions.

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NFC put this concern before me:

It's beautiful. I'm also concerned that case manufacturers might try to glean potential IP from it.

Like, I would hope you would want to share the ideas with the community for their own personal projects, but you give an awful amount of insight to people who could lock others out from doing it.

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Here's my response:

You present an interesting point, however the mass publication of this project across about 35forums, the 6000+ image views per day, and the collaboration with sponsors (coming soon) is a pretty big deterrent. It would be very easy to defend this in an IP battle, considering that there is clear evidence that I published it first technically I'd have rights.

Regardless of all that, absolute worst case scenario (pun intended): I have dozens of other designs floating around up in the old noggin, I'll just move onto a new one. I plan on releasing my own line of cases in the coming future - this project is merely a bloated prequel.

I do this because I absolutely love doing it. Moreover I love to share, get feedback and work collaboratively with the community - if I get shafted by some manufacturer of cases then sobeit. In the long-run it would better benefit everyone if the idea was ripped off - it's about time we saw someone rethinking this sh*t on mass scale (key word being think... there's alot of useless plastic bullsh*t cases out there that put 0 thought into enthusiast usage)

Truth be told - I conceived the entire concept in an afternoon, with the exception of maintaining the threads that go along with it I have only about 30 or so hours invested so-far.

The following is quoted from my website's about-me page:

Question: Why do you share your UX resources so openly? (this mantra applies to all my design, not just UX)

Too long has the high-tech industry been protecting it’s interests through, what I have titled, the acquire and archive model. Which entails buying out conflicting ideas, or merging with competitors in the interest of shelving perfectly viable and beneficial technologies. I believee in the spirit of open co-opatition, abelieff which stresses the idea of sharing knowledge with everyone -especiallyy competitors. Because it’s only when we embrace new-age movements like open-source development, and the digitization of the worlds libraries that we will really be able to take the next step.

If I were to fully consider the issue you have presented I would be breaking my core principal.

If I stop sharing, then I stop getting critical feedback, and I don't get to potentially inspire others (a deep honor in my opinion)

If I patent the design I become the very evil I try to contradict.

On an up-note: I'll continue to share me ideas on a finite level - with the intention to have the community guide my decisions.

There will be mock-ups and 3D visualizations to come soon.

I love little mental paradoxes, and I tend to over think things. As I sit here contemplating this situation I keep thinking about the barber paradox:

Suppose there is a town with just one male barber; and that every man in the town keeps himself clean-shaven: some by shaving themselves, some by attending the barber. It seems reasonable to imagine that the barber obeys the following rule: He shaves all and only those men in town who do not shave themselves.

Under this scenario, we can ask the following question: Does the barber shave himself?

Asking this, however, we discover that the situation presented is in fact impossible:

If the barber does not shave himself, he must abide by the rule and shave himself.

If he does shave himself, according to the rule he will not shave himself.

 

[Langer]

I've scratched my head at this patenting dilemma all day now... and here's what I've done for the modder's everywhere:

<--click for details

I've put a creative commons licence on the design

You are free:

to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work

to Remix — to adapt the work

Under the following conditions:

Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.

With the understanding that:

Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.

Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:

Your fair dealing or fair use rights;

Apart from the remix rights granted under this license, the author's moral rights;

Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.

 

[Langer]

IT LOOKS LIKE I FORGOT TO POST THIS HERE BACK IN JULY:

For fun today I decided to throw together a prototype... at least that was the plans before it took me near 6hrs to make.

It ended up taking a long time because the art framing board was really REALLY tricky to cut with a little type-A x-acto. this unfortunately also affected the bud quality as well... but im still fairly pleased.

I'll let the pics do the rest. I present the latest iteration made from Art Framing Board and Silicone Tape.

*j

 

[Langer]

*j

 

[Langer]

The high-grade composite panels required for construction of this project are being manufactured this week!

The panels in question are 16mm thick and composed of an astonishing 52layers. (The details of manufacturing will be released with the update... there's some CRAZY science and pressure involved to achieve the desired effect).

The panels are being made from an incredibly high grade of carbon usually reserved for military aerospace applications. In addition there are some other composite materials intermixed in the lay-up which will add some unique properties - but I don't want to say more and ruin the surprise.

I will have the panels in my hand in 2-3weeks, then I'll be sending them out for cutting straight away!

I'm elated that this is coming together as planned. I hope you will all enjoy the show, and if that's not reason enough for you, I plan on accompanying the commencement of Helios with an update on my PrometheusCU project as well.

Tune in soon for more...

 

[AMDFTW]

very nice mate

 

[tinytomlogan]

Aye does look very nice, keep the updates coming fella.

 

[Langer]

Thanks a lot gentlemen, I myseld am looking forward to getting this one started.

 

[Langer]

A 'small' order today from McMaster (physically speaking) - the necessary stainless steel hardware, fasteners, and misc. bits needed to assemble this project:

I can feel the enormity of the cost of this project already...

the parts to hold it together cost $1,180.03USD+tax and shipping.

The choice for stainless bumped up the cost considerably... but it's just too sexy to resist.

Now I'm just waiting on the composite panels that will compose the chassis to come in from California... I'm not even going to hint at how much the panels cost, and they need to be machined to spec still.

I still havent yet decided on the final hardware configuration, but I am sure it too will put a good dent in the old wallet.

*j