Smart magnets are here, and their potential could be huge. The company Correlated Magnetics uses advanced printing technology to create what they call Polymagnets, which have custom magnetic fields. The magnets can have multiple north and south poles on a single side, enabling engineers to develop faces that repel each other only until they are twisted into a certain position, at which point they lock together.
Mind-Blowing Magnets
The science behind the magic.
Key Facts In This Video
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The company Polymagnet can print specific magnetic designs on a magnet's surface, placing north and south faces on the same side. 02:08
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"Spring" polymagnets are simultaneously attracted to and repelled by one another. 05:47
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The customized magnets at Polymagnet are printed with what the company calls maxels—magnetic pixels. 07:43
Printed Polarity Magnets
With printable magnetic fields, the possibilities are endless.
Key Facts In This Video
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Correlated Magnetics Research has invented a way to program the behavior of magnets. 00:09
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Programmable magnets are able to both attract and repel each other, meaning they can come and stay together without ever touching. 00:45
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The ability to spot magnetize a magnet in any pattern is how programmable magnets are able to behave in specific, unique ways. 03:19
The Attractiveness Of Magnetic Fields
Magnetic fields are everywhere.
Written by
Curiosity Staff
August 30, 2016
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