Background to the quantum energy vacuum.
Zero-point energy, in physics, is the lowest possible energy that a quantum mechanical physical system may possess and is the energy of the ground state of a system. The concept was first proposed by Albert Einstein and Otto Stern in 1913. All quantum mechanical systems have a zero point energy. In quantum field theory, it is a synonym for the vacuum energy, an amount of energy associated with the vacuum of empty space.
The existence of an actual vacuum was a subject of debate among scientists from Aristotle into the twentieth century. Since light, magnetic fields and heat all travel through a vacuum, something must be there. Because zero point energy is the lowest possible energy a system can have, this energy cannot be removed from the system.

This is a wonderful time to introduce the weird and wacky world of free energy and magnet motors. This is a tricky and controversial subject to navigate through. Here is why. Perpetual motion is a term that, taken literally, refers to movement that goes on forever. This is possible in the current theoretical understanding of physics as in Newton’s First Law of Motion. However, perpetual motion usually refers to a device or system that delivers more energy than is put into it. Such a device or system would be in violation of the law of Conservation of Energy, which states that energy can never be created or destroyed, and is therefore deemed impossible by the laws of physics. Perpetual motion machines (magnet motors) violate the first law of thermodynamics, the second law of thermodynamics, or both!

Many scientists will counter the claims of perpetual motion and free energy, citing outside forces are causing rotation. Degaussing is the process of decreasing or eliminating an unwanted magnetic field. You can hear a computer monitor degauss with a crackling noise every time your monitor is shut down. Some magnets will naturally degauss over time, therefore many perpetual motion magnet motors will lose their strength. This degaussing discredits the “free energy” concept to which many magnet motor inventors lay claim. By way of example, it is quite possible to design a clock or other low-power machine to run on the differences in barometric pressure or temperature between night and day.

Along comes the Eden Project sponsored by the Kedron Corporation. Kedron presents what they believe will be an abundant source of extremely inexpensive, pollution-free mechanical energy, harnessed from strong electromagnetic forces generated by the spin of electrons in powerful neodymium permanent magnets.

Quoting from:
http://www.kedroncorp.com/abstract.html
“A magnet generates mechanical energy or does work when for example it pulls toward another magnet or a piece of metal. The powerful magnetic forces of two neodymium magnets can do much more work than simply pull themselves together over a distance. For example, welders put neodymium magnets to work to hold metal parts together for welding. However, the welder must also do work when pulling the magnet away from the metal. Many of us have contemplated the notion of putting permanent magnets to work to turn the wheels on a vehicle or to drive an electric generator without the addition of external energy. For example, if the welder could remove the magnet with little or no effort (work) then the magnet would have delivered a “net” amount of work. Imagine two powerful magnets pulling themselves together with great force. The work that is done as they pull themselves together could be used to turn an electric generator. However, not much work would be obtained from only one such event. To obtain more work in this manner the magnets must be pulled apart repeatedly so that they can continuously do work by repeatedly pulling themselves together. The amount of energy spent pulling them apart has to be significantly less than the amount derived when they come together thus leaving a useful net-yield of energy that is applied to turning the generator. Pulling two magnets apart along the same path they took to pull themselves together will of course require as much (or more) energy as the amount generated by the magnets when they come together. However, it has been discovered recently that two permanent magnets of a particular shape can be pulled apart along a prescribed path that requires less work compared to the amount of work produced when the magnets come together along a different path. This is possible because permanent magnets have at least one North and one South Pole which gives polarity to their magnetic fields making the fields and the force in the field unevenly distributed. In an uneven field of magnetic force, it is not difficult to imagine different paths having different forces and thereby generating different amounts of work.”

The paths that must be followed came as a surprise and were not intuitive. For example, it has been discovered that two cube-shaped neodymium magnets (measuring .75”, 43 pound pull-force, Grade N38, 1.8 ounces) are capable of generating 7.46 inch-pounds (work) when they pull themselves together “sideways” in the horizontal plane. It takes only 6.56 inch-pounds to pull the magnets apart along a vertical path that is perpendicular to the path they followed when they came together. This leaves a .90 inch-pound net-yield of mechanical energy (work) which can be used for example to turn an electric generator. While this may seem like a small amount of energy, remember the magnets that generated this yield are extremely small and are not the most powerful grade magnets available. A total volume of neodymium magnets less than the size of a car battery can generate 6.75 horsepower or 5.03 KWH or an amount of energy equivalent to the energy yield of 4,598 gallons of gasoline burned in a combustion engine every year.

The discovery presented here concerns the harvesting of mechanical energy from magnetic force generated by electrons. The (rotational) spin of the electron is believed to be the (primary) source of the magnetic force and electron spin is considered to be “intrinsic”. I fully understand the first law of thermodynamics which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and I make no claim of perpetual motion. The only “unbelievable” element of this discovery is the incredible force generated by very small neodymium magnets: a credit to Hitachi Metals and its scientists.
Here is a video of a simple magnet motor: