Science

Your Eyes Aren’t Fooling You — This Ball Is ‘Levitating’

ZeroN: MIT Uses Computer Controlled Magnetic Levitation to Make Objects Defy Gravity

(Photo: ZeroN/MIT/Jinha Lee)

It’s not magic or hidden strings keeping this metal ball suspended in midair. It’s science.

Created by Jinah Lee and colleagues out of MIT’s tangible media group ZeroN is an “interface element that can be levitated and moved freely by computer in a three dimensional space.“ The program allows users and computers to interact physically through a ”magnetic control system that can levitate and actuate a permanent magnet in a pre-defined 3D volume.”

Columnist Mike Eglan explains it like this:

The project, called ZeroN, uses magnets, a Kinect visual system, plus special software that enables either the computer to move a steel ball around in space, or a human to just grab it and move it, essentially telling the computer where it should go.

Here’ Lee shows you how it works:

Here’s a bit more explanation from Lee, Rehmi Post and Hiroshi Ishii’s 2011 paper:

ZeroN serves as a tangible rep- resentation of a 3D coordinate of the virtual world through which users can see, feel, and control computation. To ac- complish this we developed a magnetic control system that can levitate and actuate a permanent magnet in a pre- defined 3D volume. This is combined with an optical track- ing and display system that projects images on the levitat- ing object. We present applications that explore this new interaction modality. Users are invited to place or move the ZeroN object just as they can place objects on surfaces. For example, users can place the sun above physical objects to cast digital shadows, or place a planet that will start revolv- ing based on simulated physical conditions.

ZeroN: MIT Uses Computer Controlled Magnetic Levitation to Make Objects Defy Gravity

(Photo: ZeroN/MIT/Jinha Lee)

As the paper explains, tangible interfaces are meant to “bridge the gap” between the virtual and physical world. Some technology has already done this on 2D surfaces. What the group hoped to achieve with ZeroN is “a 3D space, where the computer can control the 3D position and movement of gravitationally unconstrained physical objects that represent digital information.”

Read more about ZeroN here.

Comments (54)

  • mauijonny
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 5:09am

    Very cool. Seen it before. But doesn’t this expose you to hyper magnetic exposure? It’s been shown that exposing the brain to hyper magnets can change your behavior. Plus, there’s that whole iron in your blood thing.

    Report Post » mauijonny  
    • MammalOne
      Posted on May 11, 2012 at 10:05am

      lol hypermagnet? what’s that? I don‘t know what research you’re referring to but I guarantee this device is within safe limits. It’s perfectly safe to have an MRI every day and those machines can generate magnetic fields up to 7 tesla! The magnetic fields just polarize the hydrogen atoms in your body, it’s not like an x ray that emits high-energy electromagnetic radiation.

      Report Post » MammalOne  
  • Ironbalut
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:58pm

    This guy reminded me of Bruce Lee.

    Report Post »  
  • 70sChild
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:41pm

    Wow Jinah Lee this is awesome now we just have to complete the small block Chevy size nuclear reactor for power, use government satellites in place of the kinects camera, map the magnetic property’s of the earth, and build the levitating propulsion units that use your program to operate. you are a inspiration to all. hope you go open source like Linus did

    Report Post »  
  • RamonPreston
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:25pm

    JEFFILE
    How about Steve Jobs “tinkering” over at Xerox? That’s where he stole the ideal of a GUI from. And then Gates stole it from him. See the movie “The Pirates of Silicon Valley.”

    Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • chips1
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:14pm

    I went to a government school. What the he77 was he talking about and when did science prove that gravity exists?

    Report Post »  
  • RamonPreston
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:13pm

    You can do the same trick with a magnet and liquid nitrogen.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpH_TD_SVTc

    Report Post » RamonPreston  
    • the_truth_or_not
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:16pm

      Ramon, I agree the levitation portion of this study is necessarily not that remarkable. anyone with strong enough magnets can create levitation. look at monorails. I think you totally missed the innovation, the fact that they were able to move the object with GUI. I say that is extremely remarkable.

      Report Post » the_truth_or_not  
  • Go Glenn
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 4:51pm

    My question is this……..can they control multiple “balls” in the same arrangement at the same time? If they can, then this is truly amazing. If you consider that atoms are also affected by magnetic fields, then through controlling individual atoms, many different materials can be constructed. Imagine a new alloy that is stronger than steel and lighter than a feather.

    Mind blowing.

    Report Post »  
  • cuinsong
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:31pm

    Wonder if the pyramids were built using technology like this? Just thinking!

    Report Post » cuinsong  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:20pm

      The pyramids were constructed using an inside ramp and filling it as they left.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • BehindBlueEyes
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:17pm

    This is nothing new. David Copperfield has been doing this for years, its true I saw him do it with only his hands.

    Report Post » BehindBlueEyes  
  • D-Fence
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:08pm

    The real trick is to build the machine that can itself defy gravity instead of an object being controled by a machine which creates a gravity field. Build the technology into the little metal ball. They were doing some work on this back in the eighties with superconductors but it fizzled out.

    Report Post » D-Fence  
    • Redwood Elf
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:39pm

      However this isn’t a “Gravity field”, this is a magnetic one. There is no known way of generating a “Gravity Field” since Gravity is the effect of the curvature of space around matter and not an actual force. Gravity doesn’t “pull” objects, Space is curved, and objects being affected by Gravity are actually responding to Inertia (The object is trying to stay “at rest”, but since space is effectively “moving”, the object accelerates.

      Report Post » Redwood Elf  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:16pm

      Stan Deyo says we have had antigravity since the 70′s. David Serada made public domain blueprints for building a UFO. Our government has kept it a secret.

      We have the technology to take ET home.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:19pm

      I forgot. John Hutchson can levitate a bowling ball with sound waves. Has to do with frequencies.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
    • chips1
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:19pm

      RED:
      That explains OWS. They are spaced out.

      Report Post »  
  • lassiegirldawn
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 2:58pm

    For this to work, you have to have balls, that leaves out Commie In Chief out.

    Report Post »  
  • BlessedONE333
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 1:22pm

    This is NOT new. The russians did this in the 1960s and the Americans followed in 1970.

    The problem is that it takes so much energy to do this it becomes impractical for any commercial uses.

    This type of technology is being used in the alternative UFO crafts the NWO and the NEPHILIM have.

    Report Post » BlessedONE333  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:28pm

      You have studied Stan Deyo, David Serada, Boyd Bushman and John Hutchison, too?

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • banjarmon
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:54pm

    The US educational system is wasting the minds of young Americans…Other countries are years ahead of Our kids!!!! SHAME ON THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION!!!!

    Report Post » banjarmon  
    • RamonPreston
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:29pm

      It’s not about education, it’s about indoctrination. Filling little heads with sh█t.

      Report Post » RamonPreston  
  • mrbunnylamakins
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:21pm

    inconceivable!!!

    Report Post » mrbunnylamakins  
  • the_united_states_of_britain
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:13pm

    really cool

    Report Post » the_united_states_of_britain  
  • GollygeeMrwilson
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:57am

    Doesn’t seem to be very good at the vertical axis. Also not very stable. But awesome possibilities. He said a small space with no gravity. NOT TRUE. An invisible support method yes, but gravity is still there and active. If it was true, the ball could be made of plastic and it would have worked just as well.

    Report Post » GollygeeMrwilson  
    • Polwatcher
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 11:40am

      Magnetism decreases by the square of the distance. This will only work on a small scale in the lab.

      Report Post »  
  • pdw
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:25am

    From small toys come great things. They will find a greater use as this is only the beginning. They keep learning as they understand more about the laws of nature.

    Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:23pm

      Well, that voids gay marriage. It violates the laws of nature.

      Report Post »  
    • mauijonny
      Posted on May 11, 2012 at 5:02am

      Oh, for Pete’s sake, CHIPS. That was just dumb and mean.

      Report Post » mauijonny  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:35am

    HMMMMM I wonder hiw the guy with steel testicles would feel about this?

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
  • Steve28
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:23am

    Other than a cool toy and maybe how to teach the solar system to kids in a very expensive way I’m not getting what good this is. Sure it is cool, but how does it better ones life. Can it reduce the cost of anything like power, food, cost of goods sold?

    Report Post »  
    • Pillar of Fire
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:49am

      @STEVE28: imagine having one of these that would cover your house! Laptop floating beside lazy chair, favorite drink floating beside it. TV floats so you can move it from room to room – or follow you! That’s where it gets scary…

      Report Post »  
    • centenium
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:17am

      This has great implications for volatile environments. For custom door locks. For surgery, automotive diagnostics, plasma engines, manufacturing, warehousing and the list goes on.

      Remove the “ball” as the only object controlled and see what you can come up with.

      Report Post » centenium  
    • term limits for congress
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:47am

      I think of the Jetson’s and that tube/elevator that they used. Or, maybe some kind of escape device for a skyscraper.

      Or, an opposite use – create simulated gravity in zero gravity.

      Report Post »  
    • jeffile
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 11:07am

      What good could it do? I imagine prop;e were saying the same thing about Steve Jobs tinkering in his garage.

      Report Post »  
    • davecorkery
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:26pm

      In 1969 a friend in high school tried to build a rudimentary laser. It was an unfocused mess. We asked what the heck was it good for. He said “nothing”, but scientists were playing with them. Maybe someday they will find a use for it. Hmm. We thought they were wasting our money. Like Sarah Palin thought when she gave that speech to the uneducated non-elites, complaining about scientists wasting american money studying fruit flies in France, doing cancer research. Hey Sarah, how’s that Pitbull Lipstick thing working out for ya? By golly.

      Report Post »  
    • jwrebholz
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:56pm

      Being able to manipulate a 3-dimensional image on computer, in 3 dimensions. This has big things for computer design and drafting, stuff like CAD/CAM. It’ll be huge.

      Report Post »  
    • Patriot Z
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:23pm

      davecorkery
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:26pm
      In 1969 a friend in high school tried to build a rudimentary laser. It was an unfocused mess. We asked what the heck was it good for. He said “nothing”, but scientists were playing with them. Maybe someday they will find a use for it. Hmm. We thought they were wasting our money. Like Sarah Palin thought when she gave that speech to the uneducated non-elites, complaining about scientists wasting american money studying fruit flies in France, doing cancer research. Hey Sarah, how’s that Pitbull Lipstick thing working out for ya? By golly.

      David: Thats not what she said, and this discovery is far from vindicating or villifing anything or anyone. She was talking about wasting TAXPAYER money on foolish studies. which their are PLENTY of examples of. and also how the public educationsystem is far more concerned with indoctination than education. if you want to go into charter schools vs public lets, and you will see exactly what palin was talking about. pulics cant hold a candle to private/charter schools. Next Palin and us “uneducated nonelites” have nothing against science or discovery. and the fact you are so disdainful of anyone who you deem “non-elite” shows you just need someone to tell you what to think not do any of that fancy thinkin for yourself. and remember David that uneducated non elite has been more successful than you. so why is that? hmmm?

      Report Post » Patriot Z  
  • mrsmileyface
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:19am

    See I always knew the “death ball” from Phantasm was real.

    Report Post » mrsmileyface  
    • brntout
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:32am

      Cue spikes,and drill..

      Report Post »  
    • D-Fence
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:11pm

      Nice obscure reference! Cool movies. “The Ball is Back”

      Report Post » D-Fence  
    • DarthMims
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:15pm

      My brother is convinced Tall Man is real, anyway. He will lock himself in a room when he finds out the ball is real.

      Report Post » DarthMims  
  • scrapadapolis
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:01am

    Thats pretty darn cool.But how can we get a steel ball up Obamas butt and levitate him from office?

    Report Post » scrapadapolis  
    • centenium
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:19am

      Why does every article no matter of content on this website elicit comments about Obama. Does he permeate every aspect of every life so thoroughly that all we can do is mention him at every turn. I’d kind of like to make him a non-subject until his defeat in Nov.

      Report Post » centenium  
    • BobtheMoron
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 10:49am

      @Centenium because just about everything he’s done in office permeates our lives right down to the bottoms of our shoes. If he gets re-elected he has the potential to make Stalin look like a choir boy. We’re scared s***less and including Obama in everything is a nervous tic.

      Report Post » BobtheMoron  
  • conservativejon
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:57am

    the implications of this are kinda mind boggling

    Report Post »  
  • Brae
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:48am

    I want one~~~

    Report Post » Brae  
  • Brae
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:47am

    I want one to play with

    Report Post » Brae  
  • Slowman101
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:45am

    Neat!

    Report Post »  

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