Article

2018-01-24 Science & Technology

Tractor beam breakthrough could one day levitate humans - study

[RT] Levitating humans could be in our future, thanks to a scientific breakthrough in acoustic tractor beam technology, which can now lift larger objects than ever before.

Engineers from the University of Bristol have demonstrated that it’s possible to stably levitate objects using the world’s most powerful acoustic tractor beams. Their findings were published in the Physical Review Letters on Monday.

Acoustic tractor beams use soundwaves to hold particles in the air. It was previously believed they could only be used to levitate very small objects which were about the same size as a wavelength of sound, but the research demonstrates the potential for far larger objects to be levitated.

“Acoustic researchers had been frustrated by the size limit for years, so its satisfying to find a way to overcome it,”said the study’s lead author, Dr Asier Marzo of Bristol’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “I think it opens the door to many new applications.”

The technique creates a tornado-like effect with acoustic vortices, which researchers said are like, "tornadoes of sound, made of a twister-like structure with loud sound surrounding a silent core."

Posted by Fred 2018-01-24 00:00|| || Front Page|| [17 views ] Top

#1 "Now we just need to overcome the 'all test subjects go deaf' problem."

Posted by PBMcL 2018-01-24 00:37|| 2018-01-24 00:37|| Front Page Top

#2 When pigs fly......

Posted by Tiny Sputer8745 2018-01-24 07:41|| 2018-01-24 07:41|| Front Page Top

#3 Will it work in space? You know for towing disabled space vehicles and meteorites and stuff like that.

Posted by Seeking cure for ignorance 2018-01-24 09:07|| 2018-01-24 09:07|| Front Page Top

#4 Somewhere, Doc Smith is having a quiet chuckle.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2018-01-24 11:41|| 2018-01-24 11:41|| Front Page Top

#5 Not much of a discovery for anyone having watched sunlit dust motes in front of a speaker.

Posted by Skidmark 2018-01-24 12:14|| 2018-01-24 12:14|| Front Page Top

#6 Let me know when they develop photon torpedos.

Posted by Raj 2018-01-24 14:28|| 2018-01-24 14:28|| Front Page Top

#7 I will require dual beams and a parachute.

Posted by Besoeker 2018-01-24 14:52|| 2018-01-24 14:52|| Front Page Top

#8 All this talk about tractors reminded me of the old joke; goes like this:

The tractor salesman broke up with his girlfriend; sent her a John Deere letter.

You can thank me later.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2018-01-24 14:54|| 2018-01-24 14:54|| Front Page Top

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