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3d Magnetic Pen
Pen uses magnetizable ink to produce persistent 3d drawings (aka objects) suspended in a superconducting magnetic field. | |
Superconducting magnets are able to "pin" a magnet in place. The 3D magnetic pen takes advantage of this pinning effect to let you draw wireframes in 3D. The resulting wireframe drawings harden into wireframe objects.
The user draws directly in mid-air above a strong superconducting magnet.
The
ink is a slurry of iron shavings suspended in glue. This is fed through the tip of the pen. A button lets the user turn on/off the flow of ink.
An electromagnet around the tip of the pen magnetizes the iron shavings as they leave the tip. This pins them in the superconducting magnet's field, suspending the iron shavings in midair. The tension of the liquid glue pulls the ink out of the pen as the user writes out a line.
As the glue hardens, it forms a stiff composite with the iron shavings. The result is a wireframe object, which can maintain its shape after the superconducting magnetic field is turned off (i.e. when the superconducting magnet is allowed to warm/quench).
Meissner Effect
http://www.lbl.gov/...Meissner_effect.jpg
Picture of a permanent magnet floating above a superconductor. [Jinbish, Mar 22 2007]
Intro to superconductors and levitation (video)
http://www.youtube....watch?v=Z4XEQVnIFmQ
It gets less cheesy after the intro. [jutta, Mar 22 2007]
floatfoam
floatfoam
[xaviergisz, Jun 08 2007]
[link]
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There's a croissant in this for you, if you
can convince me it's not total bollocks.
Can you cite something to support the
statement that //Superconducting
magnets are able to "pin" a magnet in
place.// and that they can do this for
multiple objects at multiple points
simultaneously? |
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My money is on the bollocks. |
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I think, [IJK], you are actually talking about superconductors as a material, rather than a 'superconducting magnet'? The Meissner effect is the phenomona whereby magnetic fields do not pass through superconductors, causing a magnet to be repelled by them. |
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So your idea makes more sense to me as a magnetised ink escaping from a pen, above a SC. But that doesn't involve pinning... Have I got this wrong? |
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I wonder if a metal planetoid out in the orbit of Pluto would be cold enough to superconduct? If so one could use this method to build on its surface. |
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I think this idea is more suitable in the virtual world using a robotic 'haptic' arm. |
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[MaxwellBuchannan] It's always safe to stay
with the bollocks. |
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There seems to be a wave of magnetic
levitation ideas recently |
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