Levitation

Slovenia's Mag-Lev Audio is currently Kickstarting a design that makes use of magnets, sensors and custom software to levitate the platter above the base, keep it perfectly stable and spin it at album or single playback speeds – adding a wow factor visual feast to the vinyl listening experience.

​​We've already seen sound waves being used to levitate small numbers of foam balls, but scientists have recently taken things a step further. They've created a low-res "display" in which the pixels are actually physical spheres that float and can be individually rotated in mid-air. ​

​Nixie tubes have lately been finding their way into clocks and other devices. At the same time, we've also been seeing an increase in gadgets that levitate objects using magnets. Therefore, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that someone is now offering an ultra-cool levitating nixie clock.​

Late last year, we first heard about the hovering ArcaBoard. At the time, people wondered if it really worked as advertised. Well, now its creators have released a new video of it apparently in action, along with an announcement of a lower planned price.

Need something to place alongside your levitating Bluetooth speakers? It looks like progress in magnetic levitation, induction and one product designer's brain have come together to save the day. The Flyte globe hovers freely above its base, offering a unique way to light up a room.

Scientists from Brazil's University of São Paulo have created what they claim is a better acoustic levitator – a device that can suspend small objects in mid-air. It's less fussy about the exact orientation of its components, making it more feasible for use in practical applications.

Developed as part of the MAGDRIVE research project, a new frictionless transmission gear and corresponding contactless axles have been created using superconductor magnetic levitation. Aimed primarily for use in spacecraft, the system is also adaptable for use in automobiles, railways, and aircraft.

Scientists at the University of California Berkeley claim to have produced a "bottle" beam of acoustic energy that can precisely direct sound waves through open air without the need for waveguides or other mechanical assistance, promising applications in acoustic cloaking and levitation.

For the first time, ETH researchers have been able to control the movement of objects and droplets of liquid suspended in mid air on acoustic waves. The technology makes it possible to mix droplets in mid air without any potential contamination or interference from surfaces.

The designers of the BAT levitating wireless mouse say that it's been developed to help prevent Carpal tunnel syndrome.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have implemented levitation in order to improve the drug development process.

Eighteen year-old engineering student Chris Rieger has spent the last six months building his LevLight system, where an LED light module floats in mid-air while wirelessly receiving its power from a coil hidden inside a wooden box.