Magnetic Ring

I've always been interested in human augmentation, especially when it comes to adding additional sensory abilities. There are some cool articles I've seen about people implanting magnets into their hand so they can gain a slight ability to “feel” electromagnetic fields. This works because the connective tissue surrounding the implanted magnet is sensitive enough to pick up small movements caused by a magnetic field. They aren't necessarily strong enough to consciously feel, but are enough to, over time, gain a subtle sense when your implant is being affected in this way. This results in the user being able to feel the electric fields from things like large motors or live wires.

I wanted to see if I could mimic the effect of implanting a magnet in my hand by making a ring with magnets surrounding the exterior. I threw this together in Fusion 360 and used 3mm diameter x 2mm height magnets with alternating polarity. I wanted it to be a robust ring with a low profile, and was pleased to find that the resulting construction is sound. The magnets work well as a press-fit, and the ring stays together well enough without adhesive. The profile of the ring is not too intrusive, and I wore it on my right-hand pinky finger for two days.

I was not able to mimic that effect using this ring, but I learned some aspects that would get me closer to the goal of adding an extra sense without invasive procedures. Perhaps I didn't wear it long enough to get the subconscious awareness of any subtle movements, but I believe the magnets I used were simply too weak. The ring also does not have the consistent placement that allows the wearer to feel slight forces that it exerts on the finger.

In the future, I believe that a ring is not the best way to achieve the same effect as a magnetic implant. I would consider a larger magnet attached using an adhesive patch.

However, if you'd like to give it a shot yourself, here are the resources I came up with!