Levitating Bugs with Sound Could Transform Scientific Photography

Scientists used precisely controlled soundwaves to suspend insect specimens, capturing detailed photographs from multiple angles without damaging the specimens. Macro photography of small specimens is a routine part of scientific research. However, the typical approach of “posing” subjects using pins can damage sensitive specimens and is not an option at all for the smallest specimens. Researchers from the Institute for Automation and Applied Infomatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; the Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science; and the Institute for Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, utilized sound waves to overcome these limitations. As Hackaday notes, acoustic levitation is not itself novel. This method for suspending lightweight matter in air using high-intensity sound waves has been around since the early 20th century and continues to interest scientists. However, the practical application of acoustic levitat ... Read full article.