A motor-generator consists of a component that spins, called the rotor, and a stationary component, called the stator. The rotor is usually suspended from the stator by a mechanical bearing, such as a ball bearing, roller bearing, or journal bearing. This method of suspension makes sense for most applications, as it is very economical. However, certain high-performance applications either require or can be greatly enhanced by a noncontacting suspension system. In applications where the rotor moves at an extremely high speed (and the friction losses of a mechanical system would be prohibitively large), where access for bearing maintenance (for example, lubrication) is limited, or where long life is required (mechanical bearings are a wear item, and have a limited lifetime), a noncontacting suspension might be preferred. This article describes a noncontacting system in which the rotor is suspended on a magnetic field, allowing five-axis levitation with a new type of bearingless motor-generator.