New device can animate objects using ultrasonic waves

Researchers at the University of Sussex in the UK have created a device that displays animated objects in 3D. They can be seen from any angle, while the picture does not require a screen.

The essence of the technology is the use of vibrations of a sound wave to capture and hold tiny objects in the air. This method over the past few years has been used in various fields - for example, in acoustic systems, where engineers allowed to repel and attract small particles, creating various sound effects.

Researchers at the University of Sussex have now applied the same technology in a completely different field. They created realistic 3D images that can be seen from any angle. Unlike holographic technology, a device can create images without a screen onto which a picture is broadcast.

Scientists call this system a multimodal acoustic trap display (MATD). Despite the impressive results, they use simple technology: images are created between two horizontal plates, where they embedded many small speakers. In their experiments, the researchers used 512 speakers, but their number can be varied.

These speakers emit sound waves in the ultrasonic range. Waves, in turn, create vibrations in the air. They occur in a small controlled airspace of a cubic shape, whose side is 10 cm.

To obtain a full-fledged image, researchers illuminate this space with the help of RGB-LEDs - red, green and blue. In this case, particles can move vertically at a speed of almost 9 m / s, and horizontally at a speed of almost 4 m / s. Thus, the human eye perceives this as a full-fledged image.

hightech.fm