ASME Donor Project. Repurposed a maglev track into a teaching aid for physics concepts related to electricity/magnetism, kinematics and Newton’s laws of motion.

I initially built the maglev track for a Star Wars themed exhibit at the UW-Madison 2018 Engineering Expo. The track was used to levitate various 3D printed Star Wars vehicles mounted on platforms. The assembly consisted of angle aluminum, magnetic strips and lots of 3D printed parts. (The exhibition was a hit and we placed 1st place).

The following summer I was tasked with upgrading the track so it could be donated to a school’s STEM program as a teaching aid. The upgraded track breaks down into modular segments for easy storage and has energized rails which propel custom 3D printed “vehicles”. The vehicles have a slot to attach washers to affect balance and weight. The angle of the propeller shroud can be adjusted. The propeller motor makes contact with the energized aluminum rails using custom brushes.