Posted on Friday 24 October 2003

Scientists in Sweden have developed a novel technique for making micromachines and demonstrated its potential by making a micro pinball table in which silicon cantilevers acted as the 'flippers', magnetic beads 150 microns in diameter were the balls, and the table measured 25 millimetres square.The table was tilted at an angle of 20 degrees to the horizon.

 


They found that the speed of a ball could reach up to 0.75 kilometres per hour - or 210 000 microns per second. This is equivalent to a football having an almost supersonic speed of 1125 km per hour (see a movie of the action).



"The pinball games are used for demonstrating this simple and easy process," says researcher Martin Bring. "It also demonstrates some of the effects that occur on the micrometer level, such as small apparent inertia."



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