Japanese artist and designer Yukako Hihara has designed a pair of anti-gravity shoes that exploit the repulsive force of magnets. The effect is special: you have the physical sensation of "walking on the moon".
The anti-gravity shoes are part of a project that aims to create products that give the wearer the sensation of "flying".
“I wanted to make the impossible possible,” explains Yukako. “When I was a kid I dreamed of flying like Peter Pan, in the clouds or even on the Moon”.
To make shoes that physically give the feeling of anti-gravity, Yukako has focused on the power of magnetism and its attraction and repulsion to create a form of anti-gravity. By building a set of magnets in the shoes, a repulsive force generates tangible resistance with each step.
The body of the shoe is made of transparent polyurethane, preformed to show the internal mechanism in its futuristic design. The "anti-gravity" system uses 4 flat magnets, two in the toe and heel of the shoe and two in a removable insole.
The genesis
Yukako tried many materials to develop her “anti-gravity system”: gel, latex foam and mesh fabric are just a few of those tested.
In some prototypes, a complex of rubber hoses capable of cushioning the walk was also used, but the result was not considered satisfactory.
Finally the lighting. Inspired by the news about the various tests on the hyperloops and fast trains Japanese, all based on a form of magnetic guidance, Yukako Hihara discovered magnetism in an anti-gravity key.
He put together the precise "dosage" between attraction and repulsion, and almost by magic the creation process began to go like clockwork.
In short: the model that you can admire in this video came out, for a walk that promises to truly range... Terrestrial. Terrestrial.
Also because space requires a real anti-gravity engine, but that's another story. For more information on Yukako Hihara's project: here is the link to the artist's profile.
