Tiny drones go where the sound takes them: EPFL creates hollow structures (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• EPFL research on mini drones and sound waves in Switzerland
• Hollow structures that react to sound waves
• New prospects for Swiss industry

Key facts

• What: hollow structures that react to sound waves
• When: not specified
• Where: Federal Polytechnic of Lausanne (EPFL)
• Who: EPFL researchers
• Amount: not specified

EPFL researchers have managed to create hollow structures that react to sound waves, creating a thrust capable of moving miniaturised devices. This was achieved using the Helmholtz resonance property.

How the technology works

Helmholtz resonance is a physical phenomenon that occurs when a sound wave strikes a surface and generates a field of forces that can affect objects in its zone of influence. EPFL researchers exploited this property to create hollow structures that can react to sound waves in order to generate a thrust capable of moving miniaturized devices.

Practical Applications

The technology developed by EPFL can have numerous practical applications in different sectors. Here are some examples:

• Robotics: hollow structures can be used to create miniaturized robots that can move and interact with the environment autonomously.
• Medicine: Technology can be used to create medical devices that can be driven by sound waves to perform

Operational details

The scientists built models of boats, about one centimeter long, with a maximum of three cavities, each tuned to a different frequency and positioned so as to push the tiny boat in a specific direction. By changing the frequency of sound waves emitted from a speaker, the researchers were able to selectively activate different cavities to move boats, spin them around obstacles, and even program them for autonomous navigation.

This innovative project, developed at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), has been financed with 500,000 Swiss francs (CHF) thanks to the support of the Foundation for Scientific Research (FNS). The main objective of this study is to create a new technology for the transport of small objects, such as medicines or electronic components, in hostile or difficult-to-reach environments.

The team of researchers, led by Prof. Dr. Francesco Causa, has developed a series of boat models with different cavity configurations. The results showed that boats with three cavities can be driven with an accuracy of about 10% in low-noise environments, while in noisier environments the accuracy drops to about 20%.

To demonstrate the practicality of this technology, the researchers conducted an experiment at EPFL's engineering faculty. They built a model of a small bridge in

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Key points

Scientists at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) have taken an important step in creating innovative technologies for the aerospace sector. The researchers built micro-vehicles, ultralight flying vehicles with three microscopic cavities integrated directly into their polymer structures. Unlike boats, micro-vehicles were powered at ultrasonic frequencies not audible to the human ear. A design weighing just 150 micrograms used its cavities to generate rocket-like upward thrust.

This project has aroused great interest among scientists and engineers in the aerospace sector. "Our goal is to create flying vehicles that can be used indoors or outdoors, such as at airports or in emergency areas," says Dr. Giovanni Maria, project leader. “Micro-vehicles are an innovative technology that can be used in different fields, such as scientific research, medicine or public safety.”

The creation of these micro-vehicles was made possible thanks to the use of advanced polymeric materials. EPFL researchers have developed a technology that makes it possible to create polymeric structures with integrated microscopic cavities. This made it possible to drastically reduce the weight and size of the micro-vehicles, making them more efficient and easier to use.

The project was funded with

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Source: rsi.ch