This would be a magnetic suit or backpack with some electromagnetic sensors on it. It would be used in a special "antigravity room" that also has computer-controllable electromagnets embedded in the walls.

A control system would sense the location of the person in the room wearing the suit and adjust the strength of the electromagnets in the walls accordingly, keeping the wearer off the ground and in equilibrium, so that he/she can float freely in the room.

A more expensive option would be to have very strong magnets in the suit and embed superconductors under the floor.

Of course, the room would have to be padded heavily in order to compensate for failures of the system.

The antigravity training system can be sold to NASA for astronaut training or rented out for fun and profit!
-- cowtamer, Apr 11 2003

Vomit Comet http://jsc-aircraft...jsc.nasa.gov/kc135/
Bring yer own air-sickness bags! [Cedar Park, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Levitating Globe http://www.1worldgl...levitatingglobe.htm
[imho, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

<harsh anno> Hey I could use magnets! Yeah they'll produce anti-gravity! </harsh>
-- kaz, Apr 11 2003


//practical...using magnets//...have a zero-g fishbone
-- Don Quixote, Apr 12 2003


A less expensive option - The KC-135A 'Vomit Comet'. [link]
-- Cedar Park, Apr 12 2003


I considered this before. A guy wears a ferrous suit and weighs less in a magnetic field with magnets on the ceiling.

The problem is the magnetic field gradient. The closer the magnet, the more powerful the pull, by a factor of the second power of the distance. Half the distance the the effect multiplies by four.

Assuming a six foot guy in a 12 foot high room: Effect on your boots = -1G (neutral); effect on your head = -4G.

Jump up and <WHAM!> You adhere to the ceiling. You can make small electromagnetic adjustments, but the only pure solution is a very high ceiling and a very powerful magnet.

Conclusion: Sucks.
-- FloridaManatee, Apr 12 2003


if it'd work i'd do it. i give him a + anyway
-- virus, Apr 12 2003


Actually, the magnetic field gradient could be compensated for by using a real-time dynamic control system (i.e., computer monitors exactly where the object/person is, adjusts the polarity/strength of the electromagnets accordingly about 100 times a second or so). This would be similar to control systems used to stabilize inherently unstable systems (e.g., two wheeled robot standing upright without a gyroscope, helicopter, certain high performance airplanes, etc.) by making small adjustments in real-time.

You're right about the large room and powerful magnet. Of course, you'd also want to leave room for plenty of padding :)
-- lemuel_epstein, Apr 12 2003


The opposite of this idea being the extreme-gravity room. Ie, the one with a trampoline in the center with the walls covered in velcro.
-- rapid transit, May 10 2003


A small correction to [FloridaManatee]. Because the magnetic force originates from a dipole, the force actually goes as the negative THIRD power of the distance. So the gradient is even worse than he describes.

But I still think it could be done (+), simply by scaling up a levitating globe (see link). This levitation is simply controlled by switching the lifting electromagnet off whenever the globe passes some height threshold. But again, because of the huge force gradient, it will probably feel more like being hung by ropes than being weightless.
-- imho, Oct 13 2003


what happens when your computer, thats monitoring your x,y&z position in the room, decides that your legs belong 3m away from your head...
-- gorillatron_9000, Nov 09 2003



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