The track's surface and walls are electromagnetic with the same pole facing up and in.

Each vehicle has magnets on the bottom and sides to repel the floor, walls and eachother. The strength and positioning of these is set in the rules.

Motion is achieved with rotaty magnets or whatever ingenious solution the teams come up with.
-- marklar, Apr 06 2008

What ever happened to [Lewisgirl] anyway? flying_20cars_20yay
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 06 2008]

Maglev Vehicle Racing Maglev_20Vehicle_20Racing
Similar idea but more like drag racing [marklar, Apr 07 2008]

EMP Racing EMP_20Racing
[skinflaps, Apr 07 2008]

How Stuff Works http://www.howstuff...om/maglev-train.htm
How Maglev Trains Work [CwP, Apr 08 2008]

Inductrack http://www.howstuff...October04/Post.html
Inductrack basics [CwP, Apr 08 2008]

Could it be of inverted platform too?
-- rotary, Apr 06 2008


I think this is how the writers of F-Zero and the Wipeout games explained their anti-gravity racers. Sci-Fi yes, but does that render this an old idea?
-- theleopard, Apr 07 2008


I thought those were just anti-grav thingies rather than something that is bakable using today's technology.
-- marklar, Apr 07 2008


I'm sure that's how they explained it, especially on F-Zero as the tracks were supposedly constructed high above the ground in order to stop the magnets interfering with daily life, I think.

However, it might just have been me being fascinated with it as a kid and justifying it myself, coupled with an episode of Tomorrow's World no doubt. Either way, Wipeout was ace, so a bun regardless.
-- theleopard, Apr 07 2008


I’ll give it a bun just because it involves racing. It could involve bumper car racing too.

Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS) trains have been around for a long time now and are clearly some of the fastest and smoothest terrestrial rides available. See links "How Stuff Works" and "Inductract".

I think you would want to use the Inductrack style which is a newer type of EDS that uses permanent room-temperature magnets to produce the magnetic fields instead of powered electromagnets or cooled superconducting magnets. To allow racers to move about freely may take some unique track design but I think it is possible.
-- CwP, Apr 08 2008


I learned about inductrack today and was about to post the same link. I agree that it looks possible, hence [+].
-- david_scothern, Apr 09 2008


+ for "rotaty"
-- DrCurry, Apr 09 2008



random, halfbakery