Some patterns acted like tweezers or a 'tractor beam' to hold a floating ball in place. Other patterns made the ball spin and move precisely in a circular path. In the future, the technique could ...

Place a ball on top of the vacuum cleaner. Turn on the vacuum. Notice that the ball is floating in the air. Replace the ball with a different-sized ball or a plastic bottle. Try floating two styrofoam ...

Laboratory experiments showed that these patterns can pull in nearby floating objects, like small foam balls the size of rice grains, and trap them within the patterns. Some patterns act like ...