The magnetic bungee rig consists of a secure vest with the bungee cords attached to your shoulders. On your feet, a pair of metal soled boots. Jump off the tower feet first. A powerful electro-magnet under the target area is then activated. When the bungee reaches it's fullest extent, the magnet grabs your feet, resulting in you being suspended about a foot off the ground for a few moments. The magnet is then switched off and PING! Off you go again.
-- simonj, Jul 19 2010

A 3T MRI magnet can throw an oxygen cylinder across a room, and 7T magnets are now available, so there might be magnets strong enough.

[simonj] How do you stop your boots flipping over (with you in them) so that their other pole points towards the target magnet and pulling you *towards* it? (Edit: oops, I see I misunderstood.)
-- mouseposture, Jul 19 2010


Strong enough magnets is not a problem. Those used in scrapyards can pick up a 2 ton car, using only the steel in the roof as a pole piece.

The problem arises with the inverse square law nature of magnetic force and distance.

To keep the steel soled boots in contact with a magnet at the bungee's full stretch requires a force of approx 3 times the occupants weight (for a 3G bungee).
-- Twizz, Jul 19 2010


from the title is assumed you wanted to jump of a bridge wearing some magnetic suit. A magnet on top of the bridge would attract you with varying strength as to give the same sensation as a bungeejump.

Sounds difficult, yet not impossible. It's just an extreme form of magnetic levitation.

If the magnet can't be made strong enough one could place additional magnets along the track down :)

sweet
-- mikrofoon, Jul 19 2010


The low tech version features a very weighty dude on the target area who grabs you around your waist and hangs on. He is sweaty from the work but wearing good cologne, and he quickly murmurs a poem in your ear about the evanescence of existence for you to ponder on your way back up.

For contrast, the second time down there are two big dogs wearing weight belts. They just growl as they hold your ankles. They might or might not let go. You still smell like cologne from the big dude but he is not there now.
-- bungston, Jul 19 2010


Probably a good idea to use 2 bungee ropes seperated by some distance at the top and held away from the bridge. Otherwise you wouldn't want to come back up as far as you fell...

Same sort of effect could be had by holding something heavy on the way down and letting it go at the lowest point. Probably a good idea if the very weighty dude wasn't standing in the way with this one...

mouseposture - metal boots wouldn't flip over. Magnetic ones would. So, in this case, jumping off the bridge with metal boots would be safer.

I like this idea. However, best to get some students to try it first...
-- saedi, Jul 22 2010


//On your feet, a pair of metal soled boots.// I'd like to see you keep the boots on the person without something doslocationg (or worse)

//A magnet on top of the bridge would attract you with varying strength// Not only are bridges generally made of metal but so so are the cars that utilize the bridge... this could get quite a bit ugly

//If the magnet can't be made strong enough one could place additional magnets along the track down :)// That alternative sounds quite possible, however
-- xxobot, Jul 23 2010



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