THE IDEA
I've always been fascinated by the future. Sometimes I think I'd love to live in the year 3000, just to see what cars will look like. That's where NOVA MEG-X came from: a piece of the future to keep on my desk — one that doesn't exist yet but could, and that sparks futuristic ideas in me every time I look at it.
---
THE DESIGN
In Fusion 360 I usually design structural and mechanical components. This was my very first time with an organic shape like a car body — a different world. But I love a challenge, so I dove in and modeled everything from scratch. The biggest challenge was weight: the kit holds up to 200 g and the complete car weighs just 184 g, floating steadily. Balancing was tricky, because with magnetic levitation the magnet's position matters and it works in an "opposite" way to normal.
---
THE ASSEMBLY
I designed each part with the right print orientation, for a perfect tilt on the plate and a clean assembly. For the car I deliberately chose glue instead of screws or joints: it's a piece that needs to stay firm and handle stress, and from experience I know screws and joints tend to loosen under load. The base is pure hands-on work: the LED strip goes into the slots I built for it, all calculated to sit right.
---
THE BIRTH OF SOMETHING NEW
While working on this project I found a new way to secure LED strips: I designed a small clip that holds the strip down and firmly in place, with no glue and no lifting. A simple but effective solution, born from solving a practical problem on this car. And it's not just for NOVA MEG-X: it's a clip I can reuse in many other projects where you need to fix an LED strip cleanly. Sometimes the best ideas come up like this, while you're solving something else entirely.
---
🎯 PERSONAL NOTE
I'm happy with myself and with this project. I always look for new challenges, beyond my current skills. I'm a hobbyist and I keep banging my head against it until it works: four years ago I learned from videos, today I try and fail until I truly understand. Designing comes naturally to me — the only thing I'm missing is time to dedicate to it.
---
If you like NOVA MEG-X, more versions of the series are coming! Let me know in the comments which one you'd like to see. 🚀
LINK:
NOVA MEG-X | Levitazione Magnetica | Auto del Futuro - Modello di stampa 3D gratuito - MakerWorld
VIDEO:
https://youtube.com/shorts/w-1bHdSD3Cs?si=HQJidsVmu6CfCF3q
@MakerWorld
