A New Wave: Scientists Write on Water

[Dover]

A New Wave: Scientists Write on Water

By Bill Christensen
26 July 2006

A new technology allows researchers to write on water.

The AMOEBA (Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin), a circular tank created by Mitsui Engineering at their Akishima laboratory, is able form letters with standing waves.

This remarkable display device consists of fifty water-wave generators surrounding a cylindrical tank 5 feet wide and a foot deep. The wave generators move vertically to produce cylindrical waves. These "pixels" are about 4 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches in height; these form lines and shapes.

The AMOEBA device can form all of the roman alphabet, as well as some kanji characters.

Each letter takes about fifteen seconds to produce; Akishima Labs expects to sell the device to amusement parks in a package that combines acoustics, lighting and fountain technology.

This device is also a good first step to the watery alien creations in the 1989 movie "Abyss," which combined futuristic underwater technology with alien first encounter...cont'd

http://www.livescience.com/scienceoffiction/060726_water_write.html

I don't understand how they are doing this. Anyone? :shrug:

[Karmakaze]

1. Here is a good explanation..

of Standing Waves:

http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/GBSSCI/PHYS/mmedia/waves/swf.html

Once you understand how standing waves are formed, it is not so hard to figure out how they do this.

[Dead_Parrot]

3. The math must be a bit painful, though...

:scared:

[Occulus]

4. Computers.

It's only waves canceling each other out in a pattern. It's really nothing so spectacular as it's being reported- but the application of the concept is unique.

This is one of those "why didn't anyone think of this before now" moments. It's so simple, so obvious, that it was invisible.

Kudos to them for figuring out how to do it, though. Now if they can figure out how to make a sheet or pool of water stand vertically while doing this....

[slor]

2. That is cool n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Mitsui *Engineering* ... give ENGINEERS some credit, the science is old.

Wonder if this could mean a new printing technology? Imagine standing waves in ink, or molten solder (for PC boards). I think current board mfgure uses a traveling wave in a tank of solder, but I'm getting waaay OMAOE ...