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First (for the something-th time) I want to thank @LegoMonorailFan for starting the WIP thread on Monorails. I am hoping to finish cleaning up my new space and get back to work on it, because I had an idea I wanted to implement that I was hoping would give us smooth running monorails that can go on inclines. Instead of going off on that tangent, though, I was searching youtube for LEGO monorails, and ran across a few MagLev videos, demonstrating magleve using LEGO. I found two interesting ones: The problem here is that, while the poster talks about curves, he hasn't posted one (in fact, this one was nine years ago). The other problem - the elephant in the room, is that this is not propelled down the track by anything other than pushing it. Cool concept, but how can we make it work in LEGO? So I kept searching, and trying to noodle through how MagLev trains are propelled (and ran across some interesting videos on "aerotrains, but I won't digress). I looked them up and saw the general idea is using a linear induction motor over magnets to propel the train - the same way a rail gun works, and how Busch Gardens Cheetah Hunt roller coaster gets launched (for the record, I've been on it several times, and it's absolutely awesome). Then I ran across this, which actually is using a LEGO "car" with magnetic linear induction to move it - theirs is much more complicated than I would want; it's also far too bulky, although I think a smaller Arduino or Raspberry Pi controlled solution would work. So, I wondered, how could an electronics idiot like me make magnetic propulsion work? Well, in the future I hope to dig in to using an Arduino or Raspberry Pi; I have an electronics book, which came with a bunch of little components to play around and learn, so I should probably do that, too - so many hobby ideas, so little time. But in the meantime, I wanted to come up with something that anyone could do. I asked, in the General LEGO Questions forum if anyone could come up with a way to do something like this: I have magnets on order - both 3/8 inch neodymium magnets on order and magnetic tape (both "A" and "B" poles). The idea is that the neodymium disks would be put along the track (alternating poles), as the "real" method would do, but instead of a linear induction motor, I'd fabricate a magnetic "worm" drive by arranging the magnets inside the LEGO 2x2 bricks in a corkscrew pattern; the axis of rotation would be along the track. Each brick would have 4 magnets, alternating poles. I measured the inside space, and believe the magnets would fit just perfectly, and would be locked in by the piece that attaches below it. That would essentially give three stages, at any given time, assuming it worked (if the magnets are strong enough), would actually give fine control over speed and direction. You still need a LEGO motor, and that disappoints me - mainly because of the noise, but it seems like it should function. My example solution is kind of bulky; in another thread, @JACKATTACKS suggested using this: Instead of the round 2x2 plates in order to achieve the 45 degree offset twist required by the middle piece. A second one would do another 45 degree twist to get the third brick back to being aligned with the first one. In either case, these would both require glue to make sure pieces could not spin off their alignment with the other bricks. @MAB suggested I just use round 2x2 bricks, but I was being somewhat secretive about what I wanted to accomplish, and it wouldn't work for two reasons: first, you still wouldn't (in the interior of the brick) get a 45 degree offset middle piece; second, the round bricks have no interior space for the magnets. HOWEVER, after also ordering the matched magnetic tape, I figure I CAN use the round bricks - and just wrap the tape, in pair, helically around the 2x2 shaft. Other thoughts: my preliminary idea is to have outside containment/guides; it's based off of this: Two is better than one, right? So why not have both attraction AND repulsion floating your train? I was also thinking - again, for testing purposes, of just building up on train track; that way I'll have fairly easy curves to deal with, and the track will help keep everything aligned. Ultimately, I think this won't work well, and I'll probably end up with magnetic tape on bottom of the cars, and on the track. However, I'm hoping it works because I'd like to ultimately go back to monorail, and do maglev monorail: Then the top of the track could have the drive magnets. Anyway, wanted to throw this idea out there; I have two sets of magnets (discs and tape, and a bricklink order on the way. I was hoping some of you electronics hobbyists could suggest ways of doing a small linear induction motor - it would be awesome, fast, and quiet.
