Core77

Mag-Lev, PlayStation-style

By Rain Noe - January 5, 2012

in Cars

More mag-lev madness, or quantum levitation as it's being called here: The miniature track and vehicles constructed for the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's quant-lev demonstration wins cool points for being modeled after the PlayStation game Wipe'out:

"Maybe in [the] near future we could assist [with] a real Wipe'out race," writes the JAIST team. Presumably they mean without the power-ups and missiles, though I'd pay good money to see that.

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MEP

12 years ago

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Yes, it is a fake. Yes, it fooled a lot of people. But it fooled them because: 1. It's very well-done, 2. We've seen a lot of mag lev stories this year so it's not totally inconceivable and 3. It's wipeout and wipeout is awesome--one of the best video game franchises of the last fifteen years and even more so for designers because of the influence of the (now defunct) Designers Republic on it's visual design. The first three games in the series are quite literally beautiful.

Sony definitely got their bang our of their buck with this campaign.
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Core77 Editorial Team

12 years ago

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As Mike points out, magnetic levitation exists. In addition to the video that he's linked, we've covered it before here on Core:

http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/a_different_sort_of_mag-lev_as_demonstrated_with_toy_train_set_20674.asp

http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/yet_another_twist_on_magnetic_levitation_20785.asp

(I've added links to the first line of the post)

That said, the link that Mark 6 posted seems to be on point.

As always, thanks for your comments,
Core77 Editorial Team
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mike

12 years ago

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while the video may be fake, this tech kinda does exist. check out the following vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws6AAhTw7RA
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Mark B

12 years ago

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Disappointingly, perhaps it's not quite as it seems; a friend has just shown me the following link...

http://z6mag.com/featured/controlled-quantum-levitation-fools-50k-into-thinking-viral-video-was-real-164282.html
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DZ

12 years ago

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Woah. Is this for real? The track and the mist look exactly like they're rendered. If not this is the coolest thing this year!
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V Doing

12 years ago

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I think this video is fake. CG'ed 'condensation trials', flawed physics, the 'Japan Institute of Science and Technology (JIST)' which is in fact called the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST). A youtube channel with only one upload...

Perhaps its a viral / commercial for a new wipeout game.
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Stewart Dean

12 years ago

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It's a computer generated viral vid by Playstation and is, unfortunately, fake.
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Ross

12 years ago

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Nice CGI - great viral ad if sponsored by Sony!
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Bill I.

12 years ago

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This is computer generated; probably a viral ad for a new Wipeout game. Note that it was uploaded to a new YouTube account misattributed to the non-existant "JIST," not JAIST!

Still... what I wouldn't give to play with Mag-Lev slot cars real life...
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JJ Casas

12 years ago

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Why couldn't I grow up with this as a kid instead of the Hot Wheels tracks? Sigh.
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