Scientists create a "water tractor beam"

[NewsCopy]

A tractor beam could be the future of containing oil slicks. That’s according to professors at Australian National University (ANU) who have shown off a prototype that moves objects floating on the surface of water independently of waves. The group’s advanced particle tracking tools were able to move a ping-pong ball in a wave tank in a range of directions, or keep it entirely still. The technology uses simple wave generators which could be scaled to tackle more serious problems in the ocean, such as collecting floating objects, moving small boats or containing oil slicks, so says_ANU professor Michael Shats....
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[Centrics]

If you've ever tried to retrieve an object that's floating away in a lake or the ocean, then you'll know how frustrating it can be, trying to draw that item towards you. According to research recently conducted at The Australian National University (ANU), however, it's possible to move such objects in whichever direction you wish – as long as you can generate the right type of waves... Continue Reading Scientists create a "water tractor beam"

Section: Science

Tags: Australian National University, Physics, Water, Wave

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