21 Levitating Gadgets

Levitation has always been one of the hallmarks of what constitutes an imagined future, but today's levitating gadgets have made that imagination a reality. Through surprisingly simple technology, designers have been able to add the mesmerizing trait of levitation to a host of devices and household items.

The technology behind the majority of levitating gadgets is known as maglev. Reduced to its simplest definition, maglev technology is a system whereby two magnets of opposite poles push against one another, lifting whatever object is on the upper magnet. In fact, maglev is a concatenation of "magnet" and "levitation."

Sometimes, levitating gadgets use maglev for purposes that explicitly relate to the theme of the object. For example, 'Making Weather' is a speaker that is shaped like a cloud and plays calming ambient rain sounds. In other cases, the use of maglev is simply a matter of showing off a magical piece of technology.