Correlated Magnetics: Conception

In the Spring of 2008, Larry Fullerton was spending his evening hours working on a very special project.  He wanted to invent an exciting new toy for his grandchildren to enjoy.  Among many different concepts he explored, Larry began focusing on what it would take to have a self-assembling toy.  The toy would have parts that needed to attach, so he thought of magnets, which had long been one of his favorite interests.  He realized that to self-assemble the parts had to have unique identities and quickly conceived correlated magnetics when he first wondered if magnets could be coded somehow to be unique.  He that theorized that signal coding and correlation theory could be applied to magnetic field structures to achieve correlated magnetics provided individual magnets could be forced into coded alignments contrary to those of accepted magnet alignment theory. 

As with all projects, Larry was diligent in determining whether his theory was correct.  He carefully designed the first prototype and then produced a simulation for it.  When the simulation output was favorable, he undertook the delicate task of constructing the first prototype, which he produced by using tiny bolts and nuts to secure round magnets to two substrates.  Fig. 1 depicts the codes used for the first prototype. 

Fig. 1 Codes Used for the First Prototype

Fig. 2 depicts the simulation output. 

Fig. 2 Simulation Output

Fig. 3 depicts the first prototype.

Fig. 3 First Prototype

Larry Fullerton’s first prototype demonstrated that two correlated magnetic structures (or Magnits™) will precisely align when the attraction forces of corresponding magnet pairs are fully combined, and a predictable release force correlation characteristic occurs whenever such structures are turned relative to their alignment position.   Fullerton’s theory was correct and correlated magnetics was invented!