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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems“Laser-guided maglev graphite air hockey” describes a 2013 research demonstration, not a commercial game: a small disk of pyrolytic graphite levitated above permanent magnets and moved or spun when illuminated. The effect is striking, but the report does not show that it can generate useful power efficiently.
What the “graphite air hockey” demonstration was
In a 4 January 2013 report, Phillip Broadwith described work by Jiro Abe and colleagues at Aoyama Gakuin University. The researchers placed a 1 cm-diameter disk of pyrolytic graphite above an array of button-type neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets. Light could make the levitating disk move; the motion prompted the air-hockey comparison. Chemistry World’s account of the demonstration describes a research effect, not a tested retail product.
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How light moves the levitating disk
Abe’s explanation, as reported by Broadwith, is that the laser heats the graphite, changing its magnetic susceptibility. That change makes the disk tilt and move relative to the magnets. The report describes graphite as heating quickly under illumination and releasing heat rapidly, a response Abe associated with controlling the motion. This is the researcher’s proposed explanation in the account, not a complete independent analysis of the mechanism.
Laser movement and sunlight-driven rotation
The outcome depended on the light and magnet arrangement described:
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| Setup | Reported outcome |
|---|---|
| Laser directed at a levitating disk above an array of button-type NdFeB magnets | The disk moved. |
| Laser aimed near the edge of the disk over a single stack of magnets | The disk spun. |
| Sunlight focused on the disk’s edge | The disk spun at around 200 rpm, as reported in 2013. |
The 200 rpm figure is the reported rotation speed under focused sunlight, not a general performance specification. The article does not provide a broader controlled comparison between light sources or magnet configurations.
Does it point to practical solar power?
Focused sunlight producing rotation suggests a possible connection to solar-energy harvesting, but rotation by itself does not demonstrate a useful power source. Turning the motion into work would be difficult. Ted Forgan, a University of Birmingham researcher quoted in Broadwith’s report, called the result “a fascinating phenomenon” and cautioned that “The mechanical work produced in terms of kinetic energy of motion or rotation is much smaller than the heat input by the laser or sunlight.” The report supplies no independently measured efficiency figure, so it does not establish how much useful output a device could deliver.
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What the experiment used—and what it does not establish
- Levitation material: pyrolytic graphite, cut into a disk from a commercially available sheet. It is not an ordinary air-hockey puck or simply a piece of pencil graphite.
- Magnetic support: permanent NdFeB magnets, arranged as an array or a single stack in the reported examples.
- Light source: a laser for movement and spinning; focused sunlight was also reported for spinning.
- Practical limits: the account does not provide consumer build specifications, a verified commercial product, or evidence that an unspecified graphite sheet and magnet set will reproduce the effect.
Broadwith’s report cites Masayuki Kobayashi and Jiro Abe’s 2012 paper, “Optical Motion Control of Maglev Graphite,” in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (DOI 10.1021/ja310365k). The demonstration is best understood as an intriguing light-responsive levitation effect, rather than a ready-made game or proven energy technology.
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