3D rabbit 'hologram' created by levitating screen using sound waves

New Scientist ^ | June 17, 2022 | Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

[American Number 181269513]

Ultrasonic sound waves have been used to levitate objects in crowded rooms to make hologram-like displays. Such acoustic levitation was previously only practical in empty spaces, but a new algorithm can quickly readjust the sound waves when they encounter an obstacle to keep the object in the air.

Sound waves are comprised of air particles moving together. If manipulated in the right way, they can pick up and move objects. However, if the sound waves run into some other object that reflects or scatters them, the levitating object can come tumbling down.

Ryuji Hirayama at University College London and his colleagues previously used sound to levitate glowing beads to create floating 3D shapes. Now, they have developed a computational technique that enables them to levitate and manipulate objects above bumpy surfaces and near objects.

Hirayama and his colleagues used 256 small loudspeakers arranged in a grid to levitate objects with precisely shaped ultrasound waves. When these sound waves encountered objects that would usually scatter them, like a wall or a houseplant, a computer algorithm quickly adjusted their shape to maintain levitation.

The researchers demonstrated their technique by 3D printing a small plastic rabbit, then levitating objects near it. In one experiment, they made illuminated beads fly around the rabbit in the shape of a butterfly whose “wings” could be controlled by the motion of a researcher’s fingers.

In another, they levitated a piece of nearly transparent fabric above the rabbit and made it spin while a projector cast images of the rabbit onto it. The result was a seemingly 3D rabbit hologram hovering above its plastic counterpart.

[American Number 181269513]

So, after reading I thought cool, with acoustic levitation they can move things and do tricks. Then I watched the video which mentions some practical applications such as controlling a swallowed camera. Rather than waiting for it to move through the system uncontrolled they can speed it up, reverse it or turn it to focus on a particular area. Or moving tiny stones within the kidney to the urethra then to the bladder so it can be passed out thus avoiding surgery. And of course tractor beams used in space travel.

[Jonty30]

Build me a pyramid and I will be impressed.

[Deaf Smith]

Is this equivalent to the Dancing Baby that came around about ‘97?

[Bob434]

or a coral castle (interesting story about that in florida about a man with tuberculosis who built one from coral- huge blocks- noone knows how he did it- )

https://www.livescience.com/41075-coral-castle.html

[Hootowl]

Many, many years ago I read an account by a missionary of watching Tibetan monks lift large rocks into place on a wall by using sound.

[Dogbert41]

He built it out of love, waiting for a woman who never showed up. Ain’t that the way?

[Bob434]

Yup=- He not only built it all- but there was a disopute, and he tore it all down and relocated it as well- He dug all the rock (which i guess wasn’t really coral, but lava rock or some such) out of the ground himself- shaped it- raised it out of hte ground somehow- transported it all by truck and relocated miles away and rebuilt it all, the story is amazing-

[dangus]

All hail Frith!

[Openurmind]

“Many, many years ago I read an account by a missionary of watching Tibetan monks lift large rocks into place on a wall by using sound.”

Yep, others may find this interesting.

https://harmonicsofnature.com/2019/07/07/using-sound-to-move-rocks/

[Wiz-Nerd]

After reading this I think it is worth taking another look at the story of Jericho in the Book of Joshua.