Chinese researchers develop new method for electronic-free object control

Researchers from the Institute of Acoustics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Hefei University of Technology, have achieved a breakthrough in non-contact object manipulation. Their new method allows for the precise control of objects across different scales using a pre-designed thin plate, without the need for complex electronic control systems.

Traditionally, object manipulation, such as rotation and orbital motion, relied on vortex waves. However, these conventional methods required intricate electronic control systems and multi-channel equipment, demanding high precision and leading to cumbersome, expensive setups that limited widespread application. The Chinese research team's innovation lies in a "passive sub-wavelength structure manipulation" approach.

This new technique ingeniously designs micro-structure units resembling a labyrinth, embedding the necessary phase information directly into the plate's structure, akin to "pre-programming" the plate. This allows for stable, controllable vortex wave fields to be generated with single-channel excitation, obviating the need for any external electronic phase modulation devices. The mechanism uses the uneven distribution of the wave field to constrain object positions and the vortex wave's momentum to drive motion.

Experiments have demonstrated the technology's broad applicability, enabling manipulation of everything from sub-millimeter particles to millimeter-sized objects and even centimeter-scale lightweight components. The findings, published in the journal Advanced Science, represent a new paradigm for "structure pre-encoding, non-electronic control, and efficient manipulation," offering a low-cost, highly adaptable solution with potential to advance fields like micro-particle transport, precision mechanical drives, and smart structure design.