This swatch demonstrates how the combination of an electromagnetic coil and a permanent magnet can be used to create a “flapping” movement……..
Materials and Tools
Materials: cotton fabric, silk fabric, cotton thread, neodymium magnet (1cm diameter, 2mm high, axially magnetized), enameled copper wire (0.01mm diameter), copper tape, solder
Tools: sewing needle, pinking shears, scissors, soldering iron, tweezers, cutter knife, 7mm diameter shaft (end of pen or round tool)
Circuit Diagram
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cut your base fabric square. Roughly 12 x 12 cm.
Cut your wing flap shape. Roughly 5 x 8 cm.
Mark and cut out a roughly 5mm diameter hole.
Wrap a coil with about 80 turns around a roughly 7mm diameter shaft. And carefully remove it.
Sew on coil
Sew your wing to your base fabric.
Sew a pouch and insert magnet
Cut out and stick two copper tape tabs to the base fabric. Cut the ends of your coil so that they reach these copper pads.
Use a cutter knife to carefully scrape off the insulation from the enameled copper wire. Make sure to tin the wire first before soldering it to the copper tape.
Finally. Use a multimeter to measure if your solder connections are good as well as that there are no breaks in your coil wire. There should be continuity between both contacts.
Actuate your electromagnetic wing flap by applying power to the copper tape tabs. Depending on the direction of your coil, and the orientation of the permanent magnet, applying plus and minus to either end of the coil will cause it to repell or attract itself.
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