Researchers use acoustic tractor beams to make complex structures in mid air
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF There are many advantages to being able to manipulate things in mid air, whether it’s for hygiene, assembly, or even engineering and manufacturing purposes … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, subscribe to the podcast, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential...
Researchers repurpose tractor beam tech to create interactive holograms
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The future of entertainment is immersive and 3D, but getting there is proving hard, that said though there have been breakthroughs. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Recently I’ve been showing off videos of the world’s first real...
World first as scientists use tractor beams to make objects dance
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Increasingly the things we think of as science fact are becoming reality, but tractor beams also have more practical applications, such as transforming healthcare and manufacturing. In addition to creating tractor beams like the ones straight out of Star Trek researchers have also been making more...
Scientists have created the world’s first Star Trek like tractor beam
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF If you’ve ever been too lazy to go and get something yourself then tractor beams are for you. Hot on the heels of researchers in the UK and US who over the years have created a variety of different types of tractor beams that...
Scientists use sound tornadoes to create the world’s biggest tractor beam
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Being able to levitate, move and manipulate objects without touching them will be especially useful in the fields of healthcare and manufacturing, and it’s also awesome. In the past researchers thought that acoustic tractor beams were limited to levitating only small objects because all...
World’s first ultrasound 3D printer prints and assembles electronics in situ
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today’s 3D printers can print increasingly complex components but they still need to be sent elsewhere to be assembled into finished products, this new ultrasonic manipulation technique means products can be printed and assembled all within the same printer. 3D Printing is an exciting...
Scientists in New York have created a working tractor beam
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Being able to move objects with light has been science fiction for a long time, but scientists in New York have already made it happen, and they’re now scaling it up. Science fiction is rapidly becoming a reality, and we can see the evidence...