A method and apparatus for operating an electric motor is presented. A transmit magnetic field is received at a group of receive coils having a group of axes oriented substantially parallel to magnetic field lines from a transmit coil and having a group of resonant frequencies. A resonant frequency in the group of resonant frequencies is different from other receive coils in the group of receive coils. A receive magnetic field is generated at a receive coil in the group of receive coils having the resonant frequency when the transmit magnetic field has a selected frequency matching the resonant frequency. The receive magnetic field attracts a rotor in the electric motor.