Electrochromic Plexiglass

[d_stilgar]

I've been searching for a film or plexiglass that turns black and is no longer see through when you run a current through it. The idea is the same principle on which the darkening glasses work, but for the glasses it is with UV rays.

I cannot find any source to buy anything like this, but I think it would be awesome to have a black side of your case turn completely clear.

[The Modfather]

Can't find anyone who sells exactly what you've described but, here's a google result for electrochromic plastic if it's any help. <Shrug> Sounds like a very cool idea but, you'd need to get the stuff so it'd work with the proper currents and so forth wouldn't ya?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=%22electrochromic+plastic%22&btnG=Search

[DaveW]

Hmm...will probaly cost a lot. Why not try one sided glass, so you can illuminate the PC when it's on but have it dark in the daytime? You know the stuff, where if there's light inside it can travel out, but light outside can't get in. Much cheaper.

-Dave

[Cevinzol]

Might want to look up "LCD Privacy glass".

[tybrenis]

US Plastic sells one way acrylic - thats like the stuff they use for observing people through chalkboards and creepy stuff like that.

[GT40_GearHead]

dude i remember i used to have welding mask,.... you know.... tha ones that go black when they sance light. tha screen goes black but you get tha point, tha problem is that is smal 10 to 12 cm just a thought

[The Modfather]

http://www.glass-resource.com/sub/special/privacy.htm

http://www.glassonweb.com/directory/cat/flat_glass/glass/liquid_crystal_glass/

http://www.laminatedtechnologies.com/

http://www.electricglasswall.com/

http://www.elec.gla.ac.uk/groups/opto/Kerr.html

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlux/hv/eo.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerr_cell

http://www.eio.com/repairfaq/sam/laserioi.htm

That oughta keep ya busy. :)

[tybrenis]

Damn modfather, those are some sweet links!

[The Modfather]

Hope they help, this sounds like it'd be a very interesting mod. I can just picture a whole case made of that stuff.

[d_stilgar]

Thanks a lot. I've been doing a lot of searching and your guyses suggestions of where to look and links have helped a lot.

I've been thinking about doing a really cool HAL 9000 mod. As it is right now I'll just work on the case cuz I have no money for hardware. I think I may also build a chair like one from the movies. It may turn into a HAL 9000 desk for all the stuff I want to do. At a minimum it's gonna be in a cube server case.

The reason for the glass is because HAL 9000 did not and would not have a window in my oppinion, but the internals and cooling deserve to be seen. So I thought of this as a good way to do it. Plus it will have that futuristic look that the movie 2001 was looking for.

For the cooling theme I was thinging "The cold of space" The CPU and both the GPUs would be cooled by peltiers and would never get above freezing hopefully. The liquid cooling would be in black tygon. I've also been trying to find a way to get cold air to blow out the front of the case, showing off how cold it is. My only concern with that is the dewpoint, I don't want condensation forming in my PC. I also want the case to show off the silence of space and produce almost no noise.

I want to have fibre optics for simulated stars on the inside and on the outer right side of the case. I also want the right side to have a painting of the sun, earth and moon, like in the opening sequence of the movie.

The front would have a HAL 9000 model that possibly could have a Logitech Orbit Cam in HAL's eye (I'll have to see how that works).

On the inside behind the elctrochromic plexiglass (or whatever I figure out) would be a diorama or model of the moon when they excavate the monolith. The monolith would actually be a modded 60 gig iPod video. I would square it off with bondo and paint it to look like the monolith from the movie. There would be little poeple standing under it like in the movie.

The res for the water cooling would be Dave after he is reborn by the monolith and is a fetus floating through space.

Anyways, my ideas aren't set, and I have no money for hardware yet. I think I will start on the case and if it looks good I will maybe try to get some sponsors.

Anyways, tell me what you think.

[d_stilgar]

Sorry for the double post. But I pretty much found the stuff I want if I can find a way to get some. haha. Here's the link.

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/sb-Apr-04-EETD-switchable-mirror.html

[The Modfather]

Awesome... How much is the plexi going to run you though? It seems like it'll be expensive stuff.

Oh and someone did a HAL9000 mod before, I can't remember who or where the log is but he was able to replicate the "eye" perfectly, if you can track down the worklog for it you could get ideas from it. I know he used some kind of glass or plastic tube at some point in the mod.

[d_stilgar]

I've seen the other HAL 9000 mod. It was good. I think I can do better though, especially with some better ideas for the theme. I think that I will make a perfect HAL replica, but just integrate the orbit cam to give HAL function as well.

I have no clue how much that plexi is going to cost though. I'll contact the company when I get a little more into this mod (like when I have the money).

[d_stilgar]

I kinda think I should start a new "HAL 9000" thread.

[The Modfather]

Going to the new thread.