Discovering New Avenues: Ultrasonic Waves as the Key to Object Steering

 

 

About Topic In Short:
	Who: University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Ognjen Ilic (senior author), Matthew Stein (first author).
	What: Researchers discovered a novel method using ultrasound waves for contactless manipulation, enabling movement of objects without the need for a built-in power source, with applications in manufacturing and robotics.
	How: By employing metamaterial physics and placing a metamaterial pattern on an object's surface, researchers steer it in a desired direction using sound waves, without physical contact.

  

Introduction:

In the realm of contactless manipulation, a groundbreaking revelation emerges from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers who harness the power of ultrasound waves to propel objects. This newfound technique unlocks vast possibilities for industries like manufacturing and robotics, enabling devices to move autonomously without the constraints of a built-in power source.

 

Background:

The research, unveiled in Nature Communications, unveils the art of object manipulation using the artistry of light and sound waves—a phenomenon known before. Yet, in previous cases, the confines of sound and light wavelengths limited the objects to diminutive scales, mere millimeters to nanometers in magnitude. Surmounting this challenge, the research team delves into the complexities of metamaterial physics, transcending boundaries to manipulate grander entities.

 

Metamaterials and Contactless Manipulation:

Metamaterials, ingeniously designed materials engrossed in wave interactions, emerge as the heart of this study. Implementing a metamaterial pattern upon an object's surface, researchers steer it with sound waves, all devoid of any physical contact.

 

Key Discoveries:

The study's esteemed author, Ognjen Ilic, a professor in the College of Science and Engineering, stresses the distinctiveness of their research, wielding prowess to manipulate and ensnare more substantial entities through the marvel of "metasurfaces." By rendering an object's surface a metamaterial sanctuary, they achieve wondrous feats in object manipulation.

 

Contactless Actuation and Future Prospects:

The research pioneers a novel approach to contactless actuation, furnishing unmatched advantages over existing methods. Its implications reverberate throughout industries demanding precision and hands-free dexterity. The realm of possibilities evokes echoes of science fiction sagas, wherein objects advance and gravitate towards predetermined sources, akin to the wondrous tractor-beam technologies heralded in Star Trek's narratives.

 

Future Research and Implications:

Though the study primarily demonstrates the concept, a vibrant trajectory lies ahead as researchers venture into the realm of higher wave frequencies and diverse materials and object scales. The unfurling research promises a future wherein contactless manipulation becomes an inseparable constituent of numerous industries.

 

Insights from the Experts:

Ognjen Ilic, the study's venerable senior author, reverberates the groundbreaking essence of their work, illuminating the potency of sound and light in manipulating more substantial entities—a revelation that engenders novel mechanisms for contactless operations. Matthew Stein, the paper's first author and an erudite graduate student in the College of Science and Engineering, emphasizes the burgeoning domain of contactless manipulation in the realm of optics and electromagnetism. Their groundbreaking approach transcends conventional methods, unveiling an auspicious pathway for deeper exploration.

 

Conclusion:

The research illuminates a captivating horizon, with ultrasound waves as the conduit for contactless object manipulation, catapulting the University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers into the vanguard of scientific breakthroughs. Embracing the complexities of metamaterial physics, they demonstrate the astonishing ability to maneuver objects of unprecedented scale. In the churning cauldron of innovation, the technique's potential cascades across industries, engendering a future replete with possibilities for contactless manipulation.

 

Image Gallery

College of Science and Engineering students with metamaterial object. Credit: University of Minnesota

By placing a metamaterial pattern on the surface of an object, the University of Minnesota researchers were able to use sound to steer it in a certain direction without physically touching it. (CREDIT: Olivia Hultgren)

All Images Credit: from References/Resources sites [Internet]

Video credit: Laboratory for Nano Optics and Mechanics, University of Minnesota

Hashtag/Keyword/Labels:

#UltrasoundWaves #ContactlessManipulation #MetamaterialPhysics #ScienceAndEngineering #Robotics #Manufacturing #Research #UniversityOfMinnesota

 

References/Resources:

1. University of Minnesota News Release: "Researchers use ultrasound waves to move objects hands-free" (Link: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/researchers-use-ultrasound-waves-move-objects-hands-free)

2. Nature Communications Journal: "Study on contactless manipulation using metamaterial physics" (Link: https://www.nature.com/ncomms)

 

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