Scientists have recently come up with a new and enhanced approach to levitating objects through sound waves alone, a remarkable feat of mixed-reality technology that could pave the way for some extremely futuristic hologram-like displays.
As seen in a new Science X video below, the researchers were able to levitate "individual polystyrene beads and water particles inside a special chamber, making them move in three dimensions by modifying the output of hundreds of tiny speakers, arranged in a grid, a Futurism report specified.
"No eye-wear or tricks required, simply 3D shapes sharing the very space in which we live." https://t.co/6kDRmQuo9b
— Futurism (@futurism) June 21, 2022
In a demonstration, the scientists could even float a small piece of fabric in midair, on which they projected a movie featuring a leaping rabbit.
The team also addressed that deadly flaw with the past iteration of their work. By boosting the number of speakers to over 250 and altering each of their outputs through sophisticated software, the study investigators were able to move the object despite interference.
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This picture shows cymatics, the study of wave phenomena, sound, and their visual representations.
An Enormous Source of Interference
An obstructing object inside the said enclosure could lead the individual sound waves to bounce around unsystematically, resulting in any levitating object falling out of the air.
According to researcher Diego Martinez from University College London, their 3D displays had to exist in a vacuum, although they can develop 3D content "right there in front of you."
Martinez, also the co-author of the new study on the work published in the Science Advances journal, added that no eyewear or tricks are needed, simply 3D shapes sharing the exact space in which humans live.
The effect is stunning; in a single experiment, the researchers could levitate a water droplet over a moving glass of water, an object that would have instead proven to be an enormous source of interference because of its reflective surface.
Acoustic Levitation
In a statement, University College London's Ryuji Hirayama, the study's lead author, said the latest development opens up the possibilities for completely immersive virtual reality experiences and interactive holograms.
The researchers are now hoping to create a new system that enables more than just a single source of interference. In the said release, lead researcher Sri Subramanian said he is excited about how this work opens the door for mixing many different materials in 3D printing and additive manufacturing.
The lead researcher added that acoustic levitation has massive potential in precision manufacturing, and this work is paving the way for realizing such an opportunity.
2 New Steps
As indicated in the UCL report, the team could levitate different objects, including polystyrene beads, fabric, and water, by integrating two new steps.
First, they calculated how the path of the soundwave looked at any different speakers turned on and how they bounced off things in the environment.
Such an approach could modernize how products are developed through multi-material 3D printers. Present printers use a single dispenser to produce each material in the object.
This is essential to prevent cross-contamination when biological or chemical materials are used.
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