This Computer Boots When You Light a Flame, Using a Stirling Engine to Power Games
PickentCode built a computer powered entirely by a small Stirling engine heated by an alcohol lamp. Instead of a wall outlet or battery, the flame keeps a generator turning to power an ESP32-C3 and a small OLED display.
A 16-key keypad lets the machine run CHIP-8 games and custom programs. To stay within the tiny power budget, wireless features are disabled and the processor speed is reduced when full performance is not needed.
Details： CircuitDigest ↗
Turning on this computer starts with lighting a flame rather than pressing a power button. If you want to keep playing, keeping the fire alive becomes part of using the machine.