Science

The World's First Smart Magnets Are Programmable, Customizable And Printable

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.

The team can also adjust the pull strength of each magnet, and print magnetic field designs on flexible materials as well as traditional, rigid ones. The applications of this technology haven't been fully explored yet, but so far the magnets have been used as frictionless gears that both attract and repel each other to stay together without touching.

We've collected some great videos on the future possibilities of printable magnets. Watch them below. And find out more about how magnets are shaping the future, from space travel to magnetic levitation to the future of phone technology. 

Mind-Blowing Magnets

The science behind the magic.

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Mind-Blowing Magic Magnets - Smarter Every Day 153
– Smarter Every Day

Key Facts In This Video

  1. The company Polymagnet can print specific magnetic designs on a magnet's surface, placing north and south faces on the same side. 02:08

  2. "Spring" polymagnets are simultaneously attracted to and repelled by one another. 05:47

  3. 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.

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CMR Demos Its Printed Polarity Magnets
– TechCrunch

Key Facts In This Video

  1. Correlated Magnetics Research has invented a way to program the behavior of magnets. 00:09

  2. Programmable magnets are able to both attract and repel each other, meaning they can come and stay together without ever touching. 00:45

  3. The ability to spot magnetize a magnet in any pattern is how programmable magnets are able to behave in specific, unique ways. 03:19

Magnets: How Do They Work?

Everything you need to know.

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MAGNETS: How Do They Work?
– MinutePhysics

The Attractiveness Of Magnetic Fields

Magnetic fields are everywhere.

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The Attractiveness Of Magnetic Fields
– MIT+K12
Written by Curiosity Staff August 30, 2016

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