< i > Tweezers of sound < /i > can pick objects up without physical contact

(Tokyo Metropolitan University) Tokyo, Japan - Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new technology which allows non-contact manipulation of small objects using sound waves. They used a hemispherical array of ultrasound transducers to generate a 3D acoustic fields which stably trapped and lifted a small polystyrene ball from a reflective surface. Although their technique employs a method similar to laser trapping in biology, adaptable to a wider range of particle sizes and materials.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news