This Beautiful Open Source Ultrasonic Levitator Is Now Available for Sale

Sound may seem ethereal and intangible, but it is actually a very physical phenomenon. That is why sound can’t exist in a vacuum —sound waves need a physical medium to travel through. If you’ve ever felt a neighbor’s obnoxiously loud stereo shaking the thin floors of your low-rent apartment, then you’ve experienced the physical manifestations of sound waves moving through a solid material. Of course, the way we usually experience sound is through the air. But sound can also physically move air, which is how ultrasonic levitation works. Now you can purchase APTechnologies’ beautiful open source ultrasonic levitator on Tindie to see it for yourself.

Ultrasonic levitation, also more generally referred to as acoustic levitation, is a technique for suspending objects in the air on the pressure from sound waves. It really only works with small, very lightweight objects like pieces of Styrofoam, at least at the power levels usually used for these kinds of devices. When sound travels through the air, it is quite literally a wave. The proper kind of sound wave is quite capable of overcoming the gravity pulling small objects down towards the Earth. If you project two sound waves toward one another from the proper distance, you will create low pressure pockets where those objects can remain suspended. Ultrasound is used because it has a short enough wavelength to create a pocket size that is useful for the small lightweight objects you will suspend.

This particular ultrasonic levitator operates at 40kHz, which works out to a wavelength of a little less than 1 cm under typical atmospheric conditions. It’s built using a total of 14 ultrasonic transducers, which are arranged to create several stable levitation pockets. The 3D-printed frame is quite attractive and is also designed specifically to reduce problematic reflections. The transducers emit a square wave and are controlled by a Microchip ATtiny13A-SSH microcontroller. Power can be supplied by a standard USB source, such as a wall wart or a battery power bank. This device design is open source and you are absolutely welcome to build your own. But, if you’d rather purchase the device, it is now listed on Tindie. It is currently out of stock, but you can sign up to be notified when they get back in stock. The price is $45, and it ships from Sweden.