If the fidget spinner refuses to disappear, kids insist on having dozens of them to play with once or twice (and never touch again), and the market offers them in all shapes and sizes, what can we do? Well... why don't we hack one? A basic circuit with five components, a power supply, and three magnets glued to the spinner is all you need to turn it into... an electric motor. Yes.
No, I don't own a fidget spinner. Yes, I'm resisting the idea of buying one, because it's very likely this craze will fizzle out within a few months, the spinner will end up as a keychain, and in five years someone will ask me: "Do you still have that thing?" I feel sorry for all the Chinese suppliers out there, but these days I need to redirect my budget to more critical things, like a graphics card and a power supply (?). Now, let's assume your house was invaded by spinners. Big, small, with three or four blades, it doesn't matter. You pick up a spinner, spin it once, twice, three times... and maybe through a mysterious mental process you wonder if it's possible for it to spin on its own, without human intervention.
The Electromagnetic Accelerator
As this recent video from the Tanner Tech channel shows, you need to modify it with three or four magnets (depending on its design) and create an electromagnetic accelerator. The configuration includes:
- Inductor
- Diode
- Resistor
- MOSFET
- Reed switch
- A stable power source of 5 to 12 volts
A key detail is to correctly orient the magnets so their polarity goes in the same direction, and keep the spinner well balanced when gluing them. Power the circuit, bring the inductor close to the magnets, and the spinner will spin on its own.
I imagine anyone interested can miniaturize the circuit even further, hide it in their sleeve to make it look like a magic trick, or why not, increase its power. Tanner Tech's circuit made the spinner exceed 1,400 revolutions per minute. Personally, the last thing I want to see is those three magnets turned into projectiles...
