Scottish researchers claim to have developed the most powerful version of a tractor beam to date using the power of sound. That’s right, it uses ultrasound energy to pull a hollow triangular object towards the energy source. In a different project, researchers demonstrated another piece of sci-fi technology – Dr Who’s sonic screwdriver – could also be created using a similar ultrasound array. Continue reading for two videos and more information.
According to Dr. Demore: “The concept has been there for a long time. It took a couple of years to find the right pieces and get them together, with lots of other research going on. Our previous work on the sonic screwdriver led to this. The latest experiment was carried out using a suspended triangular prism, a little denser than water, and about 5cm (2in) tall.”
