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Reuters

The tractor beam, a staple of science fiction including Star Wars and Star Trek that is employed to grab spaceships and other things remotely, is entering the realm of reality.
Researchers on Tuesday said they have developed a beam that uses high-amplitude sound waves to levitate, move and rotate small objects in mid-air without making contact with them. They envisioned medical and other applications for the device.
“As a mechanical wave, sound can exert significant forces on objects. Just remember the last time you were in a concert and your chest was vibrating with the music,” said study lead author Asier Marzo of Britain’s University of Bristol and Spain’s Public University of Navarre.
WATCH: Tractor beam ensnares objects with sonic waves

The researchers say the technology could create a new generation of touch screens made of millions of moving, 3-D pixels. One day, it could even be used to suspend and manipulate tiny structures inside the human body, clearing blood clots with ease. The seemingly gravity-defying device is described in a paper published Tuesday in Nature Communications.
Sound waves might not be the be-all and end-all in levitation tech, according to Marzo.
“I think it is important to explore all the different technologies for contactless manipulation,” Marzo said. “In the past, our hands were our main tool to manipulate objects but we need new tools for solving today’s challenges.”
“Different fields can exert forces on remote objects,” he explained. “And each field has its advantages and disadvantages. Magnetic levitation is powerful but restricted in reach, not very controllable and limited on the materials that can be levitated. Optical levitation exerts very weak forces, and quantum levitation even weaker ones. Using sound waves has several advantages: sound waves have the best ratio of input power to exerted force. Sound can travel through air, water and human tissue.”

Anyone who has seen a powerful speaker in action knows that sound waves can be very forceful.
In principle, a sonic tractor beam is easy to understand: You just need to tune the super-strong sound waves so that they support the object you want supported.
Acoustic levitation itself isn’t new. In fact, Nasa has been using it since the ’60s to create artificial gravity for experiments.
But unlike previous uses of the technique, the new device doesn’t have to completely surround its objects with speakers. Instead, 64 miniature loudspeakers at the base of the object are used to create high-pitched and high-intensity sound waves, surrounding the object with high intensity sound. By manipulating the speaker output, the researchers can make small objects stay still in mid-air, move, or rotate.
Marzo said this sonic tractor beam has manipulated objects up to 4mm in diameter and can control the position and orientation of the levitated objects. A video accompanying the research shows small round balls floating and moving around above the speaker array.
The tractor beam uses ultrasound at a frequency of 40 kilohertz. People can hear only below 20 kilohertz.
In adjusting the acoustic force fields, the researchers were able to create different “containers” for the manipulated object. They could move it with a finger-like apparatus, set it into a twisting vortex, or keep it within the bounds of a “bottle”, for example - all using sound waves.
Sound waves do have a couple of drawbacks. They can’t travel through the vacuum of empty space, and they quickly lose much of their force out in the open air. Plus, the frequency of the sound waves determines the object that can be lifted.
“The lower the frequency, the larger the object,” Marzo explained. “So for instance if you want to levitate a soccer ball, the necessary sound waves will be dangerous for human hearing.”
But while Marzo and his colleagues hope to find a way to safely scale up their tech, they’re mainly focusing on tiny applications. They’re already working with a company called Ultrahaptics - which was involved in the newly published study - on creating new touch screens with the apparatus.
“We are exploring how to manipulate thousands of particles individually. This would enable the development of 3-D displays composed of millions of levitating particles that act as tangible pixels,” Marzo said. He estimates that these could be on the market in less than five years.
“Sound cannot travel through the void of space, but it can do it through water or human tissue. This potentially enables the manipulation of clots, kidney stones, drug capsules, microsurgical instruments or cells inside our body without any incision,” Marzo added.
The Washington Post and Reuters
 


Attractive tech: Watch a real-life tractor beam lift and rotate coloured balls

A small ball is seen floating above an array of tiny speakers, held in place by a sonic tractor beam. Photo: Asier Marzo 

Images accompanying the research shows how a small object can be manipulated and rotated in mid-air. Photo: Asier Marzo

Blast from the East: Does Southeast Asia’s ‘Adam’ trace back to Yunnan province instead of India? Study supports new theory of region’s common ancestor

No Caption Available.

The latest study suggests the common patriarch for Southeast Asia came from South China rather than India and that “there was no (corresponding) Eve”. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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Music for your ears: Hong Kong start-up says Aumeo pocket device first to customise listening to people’s unique aural signature

The company claims to have built the world’s first tailored audio device to produce the best listening experience for each user. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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