This Ultrasonic Array Makes Things Fly Around In 3D Space

When watching this video for the first time you would be forgiven for thinking that we have finally mastered the Force. However rather than Luke Skywalker, these are scientists from the University of Tokyo, who have been able to make things levitate and move in space with the use of sound waves. With enough energy they will be able to move just about anything using this new technique.

This isn’t strictly ground breaking stuff as acoustic levitation has been around for some time. But the difference is before they were only able to move a particle over a fixed axis, going only up or down.

Yoichi Ochiai, Takayuki Hoshi and Jun Rekimoto have worked to take this concept further, developing a way of making objects move in 3D space. In a research paper they explain:

“Our manipulation system has two original features. One is the direction of the ultrasound beam, which is arbitrary because the force acting toward its centre is also utilised. The other is the manipulation principle by which a localised standing wave is generated at an arbitrary position and moved three-dimensionally by opposed and ultrasonic phased arrays. We experimentally confirmed that various materials could be manipulated by our proposed method.”

The machine creates a focal point from a 3D standing wave. Then users have to alter the wave’s properties to move whatever is caught inside that point. The technique can manipulate a wide range of materials, and it’s safe to disrupt with your hands.

So practically what are we looking at here? Well as I mentioned before, if there is enough energy then any object could potentially be lifted in the air and moved in any direction, so we could see real life Back To The Future hover boards. Exciting!

[Image via Yoichi Ochiai]

SOURCE: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/01/ultrasonic-array-moves-objects-in-3d/

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Why Google Glass Will Not Succeed In 2014

When Google Glass was first announced, we all got excited about the idea. Well, perhaps that is too much of a sweeping statement. After all, there are a lot of people who are not that pleased with the idea. We’ve even heard about patrons being banned because of Google Glass; and while there are individuals who have had the chance to play with this particular piece of wearable tech, the general public still has no access to Google Glass. Eight months since the gadget was made available to some people, we’re already looking at whether or not Google Glass will get a break this year.

Having had no personal experience with the device, my opinion is based on secondhand information, and when it comes to that, why not allude to what Robert Scoble has put on record? Yesterday, he wrote a post on Google+ which sums up his opinion neatly: Google Glass is doomed. Here are the highlights of why he thinks this is going to be the case – at least for this year.

1. Expectations are too high.


2. These are too hard to buy and acquire. They need to be custom fitted and, because they have a new user interface, users need a bit of training on how to use them.


3. Not enough apps.


4. The current UI can’t handle lots of apps.


5. Battery life.


6. Photo workflow sucks.


7. Facebook is our main addiction and I can’t do it in Glass.


8. No contextual filtering.


9. Developers are being held back because there isn’t any distribution system for apps or Glass experiences.


10. The Gruber problem. He just doesn’t like the idea of Glass, even if Apple were to bring out one.

I think it all boils down to the first point: expectations. The hype surrounding Glass was high from the get go, and while it may have died down, the chances are that expectations from the device will still be sky high when it finally hits the shelves. All the other points stem from expectations; more so, we have to remember that this is a very early stage for Google Glass and other wearable devices. Translation: more features will come at some point. Probably not this year or even the next.

So yeah, we probably won’t be seeing Google Glass the way we see iPads (and other tablets) this year, but that’s not to say that’s going to stay the same in 5 years or so.

What do you think, is Google Glass doomed (this year or even beyond)?

[Image via Glass-Apps]

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