The Fluid Dynamics Behind MOVA Globes

We’re often asked: “Why fluids?” The answer lies in our philosophy: to create objects that feel alive, not engineered. Fluid is the soul of MOVA Creations’s motion. It is not merely a technical choice but a bridge between science and art. While solar cells and magnets provide energy, it is fluid—nestled between the outer shell and inner globe—that creates MOVA Creations’s signature smooth. To truly understand the wonder, one must first appreciate the role of fluid in bringing each rotation to life.

Fluids Let Us Work With Nature, Not Against It

When designing the first MOVA Globe, we rejected traditional motors and batteries. Why? Because they’re loud, finite, and disconnected from the environment. Fluids, however, are responsive. By filling the globe’s core with a proprietary fluid blend, we unlocked two gifts from physics.

Our fluid reacts to ambient light, transforming even the faintest photons into gentle convection currents. No plugs, no noise—just sunlight or lamplight becomes the invisible hand that fuels perpetual motion. This silent energy harvesting mimics nature’s own rhythms, like how sunlight stirs ocean currents or lifts a dandelion seed on a breeze.

And unlike mechanical parts that grind and falter, fluids don’t wear down. We drew inspiration from hydraulic systems in spacecraft, where perfectly sealed fluids operate flawlessly for decades in the vacuum of space. We wanted that same frictionless timelessness for art—a globe that spins today as smoothly as it will for generations, untouched by the erosion of time.

Fluids gave us a way to harmonize with the world, not dominate it.

The Precise Fluid Formula 

Our engineers often joke that designing MOVA’s fluid was like mixing a cocktail for a Nobel laureate—every property mattered.

We balanced the fluid’s density with microscopic precision, suspending internal components at just the right level, neither sinking nor floating. This was inspired by how marine life thrives at specific ocean depths. Next, we embedded light-sensitive compounds into the fluid, turning it into a “light-absorbing sponge.” Even a 60-watt lamp can trigger motion, much like how plants tilt towards light. Finally, we tamed the fluid’s chaotic tendencies. Turbulence brings disorder, laminar flow brings calm. By suppressing chaotic swirls, the fluid’s movement remains as smooth as a river’s meander.

The result? A system so elegantly simple that it feels inevitable—as though we did not invent it but discovered a law of nature.

The Rigorous Lessons of Fluids

The tiniest leak could kill all motion. We borrowed sealing techniques from satellite fuel tanks, applying aerospace-grade precision to art. Temperature was another adversary: too cold, and the fluid thickened like glue; too warm, and it thinned like water. 

It was only after studying “smart fluids” used in racing car suspensions—which adjust viscosity based on conditions—that we found a solution. And the most unexpected lesson came from human nature: people wanted to touch and speed up the rotation, but fluids resist force. We eventually embraced this gentle stubbornness, letting it become part of MOVA’s charm.

“Why Not Motors?”—A Question That Defines Our Soul

We are often asked, “Wouldn’t a tiny motor be cheaper?” Perhaps. But motors symbolise control, fluids embody collaboration. A motor shouts, “Look what I made!” A fluid whispers, “Look what we discovered.”

This is the soul of MOVA. We do not build machines, we curate conversations between light, magnetism, and fluid, then step back to let nature take the lead.

To hold a MOVA Globe is to cradle a drop of the universe’s intelligence—a system where order emerges from chaos, guided by the timeless rules of fluids. They remind us that beauty thrives not in complexity but in harmony.

So, why fluids? Because they are the closest thing to magic that science allows. And at MOVA, we would rather be wizards than engineers.

—The MOVA Team

Postscript

If you are curious about our “secret sauce,” while the exact formula remains proprietary, we are happy to share insights into light-sensitive materials and viscosity optimisation—feel free to reach out to the MOVA Lab!