Researchers from the University of Bristol developed a sonic tractor beam that anyone with a 3D printer can build.

In the past, science fiction inspired technologies that become commonplace; like mobile phones. Next could be tractor beams, which are a familiar sight to any Star Trek fan.

The fundamental principle – sonic waves have enough force to push away objects the size of millimeters – has been known to scientists for some time.

But it was only two years ago that researchers presented their first sonic tractor beams that were capable of trapping and levitating an object using sound waves. These early designs required a carefully calibrated array of single sound emitters. Although the researchers were able to conduct fundamental research with these devices, they were simply to complicated to build and consequently pricey for practical application.

This impediment has now been resolved by Asier Marzo and his colleagues at the University of Bristol. In a recent paper in Applied Physics Letters, they demonstrated how a sonic tractor beam can be built cost effectively, using DIY technology like 3D printing and the Arduino microcontroller.

Whereas the previous designs shaped the sound waves electronically, Marzo’s new tractor beam uses a static 3D printed bowl. The dome’s structure is specifically designed to focus and shape the sonic waves. This low-tech approach achieves the same effect at a much lower price.

Building your own Sonic Tractor Beam

In addition to the paper, Marzo also uploaded a video that demonstrates the assembly of the sonic tractor beam in detail. According to Marzo, the parts cost less $70 on Amazon. The biggest challenge your 3D printer will have to master is meeting the required accuracy of the bowl. But Marzo believes that his design has overcome the limitations of even cheap 3D printer hot ends. In the video, Marzo is seen printing the bowl off an Ultimaker 2.

Besides the 3D printed part, the sonic tractor beam requires a good deal of soldering, drilling into wood and wiring the device. Also, you should be comfortable programming an Arduino. Recreating the tractor beam at home will keep an amateur experienced in these techniques busy for at least one day. Marzo published detailed building instructions on Instructables.

Here is a list of the essential components required:

• 3D Printed Bowl
• 30 x 16mm Transducers
• Arduino Nano
• Converter DC-DC Step-Up
• 3 x Buttons
• Jumper Wires
• 1 x Small Strip Board
• Dual Motor Drive Board
• Battery Connector
• 2S Lipo Battery (7.4V) + Charger
• Power Switch
• 12 AWG 3 Red and Black Wire
• Wooden Handler (300 x 45 x 15 mm)
• 11 x M3 screws 6mm and M3 nuts
• Hot Glue Pistol
• Oscilloscope with 2 Probes for testing the Signals
• Alligator Clips
• 1 Marker
• Screwdriver
• Multimeter
• Cable Peeler
• Soldering Iron, Tin and Flux
• Acoustically Transparent Material

So, What do You do With A Sonic Tractor Beam?

Building your very own 3D printed sonic tractor beam can be a great way to spend the time until the next installment in the Star Trek universe hits TV screens in May. But what unless we are Voyager’s intrepid Captain Janeway fighting the Borg, to what use can you put a tractor beam?

Since the objects trapped in the tractor beam are effectively levitating there are numerous practical applications in industrial contactless manipulation and biophysics. Sonic tractor beams could be used as tools in microscopy to levitate biological samples and much more. In addition, researchers are already investigating the effects of levitation. For instance, scientists have discovered that salmonella are three times more virulent when levitated.

(Source: Eurekalert)