Acoustic levitation used to construct complicated constructions in mid-air

Sound waves have been used to construct complicated constructions in mid-air out of floating parts and droplets of glue, exhibiting the method could have engineering and medical functions

By Matthew Sparkes

Exactly sculpted sound waves have been used to levitate parts and tiny droplets of quick-setting glue to construct complicated constructions piece by piece in mid-air. The method could have sensible engineering and medical functions.

Asier Marzo on the Public College of Navarre, Spain, and his colleagues have developed a system referred to as LeviPrint, which makes use of a robotic arm that may create very particular sound waves. The arm’s motion and acoustic levitation talents imply that it will probably carry parts to assemble an object from them with out touching any components.

By sculpting sound waves, the machine is ready to levitate, rotate and transfer droplets of glue or resin and small sticks, and by combining these, it will probably create complicated constructions. The glue is about virtually instantly utilizing a beam of ultraviolet gentle. Small droplets of resin can be added to components and cured in the identical manner, permitting the system to perform equally to a 3D printer.

The method gives benefits over 3D printing, says the staff: a variety of supplies can be utilized and it will probably deal with liquids, powders and scorching or hazardous substances.

The prototype operates with 40 kilohertz sound waves and the most important items efficiently used to this point have been 8-centimetre-long sticks of balsa wooden.

Marzo says there can be engineering functions for the expertise, and since sound waves can journey by liquids and the human physique, there may be medical makes use of.

“It’s apparent that we might attempt to apply these strategies to additionally manipulate some supplies contained in the human physique,” he says. “Perhaps our first concepts will not be a lot about fabricating contained in the physique, however manipulating or translating some parts within it; perhaps nano robots, microscopic cameras or perhaps you possibly can transport some drugs to a desired location.”

Journal reference: SIGGRAPH ’22 Convention Proceedings, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3528233.3530752