Levitation has always fascinated me. Earnshaw’s theorem states that magnetic levitation is impossible without specific control devices, regardless of the configuration of magnets. I decided to investigate the “loophole” devices mentioned in the theorem, specifically diamagnetism and active control. Considering my love of Harry Potter, the project inevitably took the form of a Quidditch game with user-controlled flying broomsticks.
I started planning my research over a year ago (in Fall 2015) and have continuously refined my design; right now, I am constructing a physical prototype and will soon perform experimental testing. I will enter my project in the 2017 Google Science Fair. Pictured below are early versions of my design iterations and research proposal. (Check here for my final product - a PID control loop with Infrared LEDs for position sensing.)
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