For the proof of concept, thin ferrite (or equally suitable material) will make up the dual cores of the electromagnets. The lighter the core the better.

A suitable thickness would be 1 mm or less, with a diameter of no more than 2 mm, but for the POC, scaling up may be the way to go.

Wrapped around these cores would be copper magnet wire. How well a traditionally styled electromagnet will function at the desired small scale is TBD. There may be other options in materials and in forms, such as a PCB based electromagnet.

Power will be supplied by a coiled conductor that passes through the center of the electromagnet and by a conductive lubricant in contact with the outer sheath of the strand. If the lubricant does not conduct well enough, impregnating the strand sheath material to make it conductive will work

Optimal spacing for electromagnets TBD. Inclusion of permanent magnets is being considered as this would boost the power of the system at the cost of increasing weight and possible permanent magnetic fields interacting in undesirable ways.