Magnets Running the Course of Ellipse at Changing Speeds

If magnets being compasses make an unbalanced boat swing from side to side the forces can be translated into linear momentum.

However this only works when the center of rotation is free to change so as soon as an attempt is made to spin the magnets on an axle such that the boat doesn't have to move a lot fails because the axle prevents the center of rotation from moving.

Here is one possible way around that. The magnets are glued to sticks that can freely move in and out of a drinking straw as the straw is rotated with a servo a little off center inside the aluminum pan.

Because the servo is off center the magnets run the course of an ellipse so the center of magnetic torque is not at the center of rotation.

The problem encountered now is that the boat turns counter to the torque of the rotating magnets. It is here attempted to limit this rotation by changing the speed of the rotating servo by remote control.

Note that the magnets at either end of the rotor are in the same polar orientation: the end of the magnet at one end is north and the end of the magnet at the other end is south.

Stay tuned:)