Raise a glass! Levitating cups are a thing.
Now a flight of cocktails can truly go airborne.
An engineer has invented levitating cups, which float in an electromagnetic field generated between the base and magnets on the cups’ bottoms. A cup can even hover above a bar or table if the base is hidden underneath — so no more hectoring from Mom about coasters and moisture rings.
Inventor Joel Paglione said he wanted to counter foodie culture’s molecular gastronomy and ostentatious plating and bring the same wow factor to beverages.
In order to lift your spirits (or wine, or tea), the cup and base mimic the electromagnetic suspension that keeps high-speed maglev trains hovering above their rails.
“It’s unfortunate the glassware hasn’t gotten enough attention,” Paglione said. “I want to bring the drink back and make it part of the show.”
Last month Paglione, 30, launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring the glasses to market. The campaign is already three-quarters toward its $50,000 goal. Early birds can get a wired base and shatterproof tumbler for $179; a wireless base housing a rechargeable lithium-ion battery costs $20 more.
He’s projecting October deliveries for high-end bartenders, mixology fans “or that person you have a hard time buying a gift for -- who has everything, but doesn’t have everything.”
