Aero-Acoustic Levitation of Ping-Pong Ball

[TheHeelflipg]

It's a point made though.. in ancient societies they used instruments and drums to lift huge boulders.. ex.. the pyramids in Egypt

[GeorgiaSouthernTide]

FAIL YOU ARE DUMB AS SHIT

[ZyaTorg]

Funny :)

[rich7boy7]

My cat does that when I turn on Justin Bieber songs!

[tommyjw]

He has accomplished one thing.... know how to waste time.

[QuattroStig]

That is not levitation. I know what I said is redundant. So learn from it and people will discontinue posting "This is not levitation".

[Internettroll1]

This guy is a simpleton

[ivionday]

Look at that sucker go! You guys should publish your findings

[imposible2play]

fail

[kizzizzile]

so the ball is pushed up from the changing pressure the speaker creates. COOL

[Laevi1337]

i see no levitation

i see no acoustic motor

i think i hear a hippie's mind being blown away

[alskdjfhg0]

well..using a sub..the speaker cone just viberates back and fourth..so really i dont think the ball is actually levitating..because air would be going in and out constantly with each viberation..its like..hold a sheet of paper up to the subwoofer while playing music..the paper doesent stay away from the hole..it will be pushed away and then it will be sucked back probably making a slaping noise..i just dont see how its levitating

[MrfixitRick]

Instead of a piece of paper, use a stick of incense. By holding the incense close to the sound port when the volume is up, you will see that air constantly goes out from the centre of the port, and constantly flows in from the very edges of the port. The air does not flow back and forth as one might expect. I was trying to catch that centre of the hole gust, and perhaps form it with sound waves. (I can push styro beads to the ceiling this way,)

[04Macleodw]

@alskdjfhg0

obviously what im going to say isnt happening in this video but if you create a standing wave with a speaker it is possible to levitate a ping pong ball in one of the antinodes of the wave. even with the cone going backwards and forwards. (it has to be about 128times louder than a nightclub though - 180Db!) this video is shit lol its not levitating at all. search for acoustic levitation

[MADdrummer971]

WHY DID i just watch a ball move around in a port

[TheRealVerbz]

I've seen a ping pong ball and styrophome cup levitate at the focul point of 3 acoustic waves at an x, y and z axis.

Awesome experiment.

You are vibrating the ball but are not yet levitating it.

I'd like to know what it would be like to experiment with a bathtub with three 18 inch subwoofers at an x, y and z axis.

Fill the bathtub up with water and vibrate the water at Chladni or Sofeggio frequencies to create beautiful shapes while a person is floating in the focal point of the water medium.

[MrfixitRick]

Can you say more about breaking two parallel dimensions? Where does this info come from?

Thanks, Rick

[cosmolv]

That info comes from esotheric plane - this info 100% true, but i connot tell more... sorry, you find that info when you will be ready, humans are not ready jet for that technology - if i tell something - we destroy this planet :( it is too dangerous - not now, just wait some years...

[MrfixitRick]

Overall, there seems to be an acceleration of consciousness happening on the planet right now.

Mankind may never be completely ready, but the parallel dimension ideas are now pouring into the mainstream anyway!

[4jeremy9]

hrm err teleport erhrm hmm

[Doomsdaydev1ce]

That's not levitation. The pingpong ballis blocking the end of the port in the subwoofer's sound chamber. The subwoofer puts out somewhere between 25-200Hz at a very high amplitude. The amplitude level creates displacement in the air and the ping pong ball bounces around because of the air in the chamber trying to normalize because of the changes in pressure caused by the high-powered low frequency waves.

[MrfixitRick]

A ping pong ball can be levitated using the output of a vacuum cleaner. Similarly, there is a vortex of air that constantly pushes out from the centre of the speaker port. The air only goes into the speaker at the very edges of the hole. The ball gets caught in the edge downflow and vibrates. However, this speaker port will shoot syrofoam chips up to the ceiling from the floor. I believe a more powerful speaker than this 40 watt would easily propel the ball up and possibly levitate it freely.

[david96888]

@MrfixitRick Actually, it does move in and out constantly. Set a match on fire, and put the flames up to the port and see for yourself. And you wish it was a 40 watt subwoofer. It's 20 watts.

[QuattroStig]

@MrfixitRick

Shooting styrofoam beads to the ceiling is propulsion not levitation. And the air goes in at the same rate it goes out. Although it may be entering at the edges as you claim. But claiming this in text is vastly different than proving it. Which is something you HAVEN'T done in this video.

[cosmolv]

To levitate it you need High frequency at 48'000 KHz ;)

[MrfixitRick]

I know about ultra-sonic levitation.

However, there was a low-frequency sound levitation device that was recently granted a patent.(see Rey, Charles A. U.S. Patent 4,284,403. "Acoustic Levitation and Methods for Manipulating Levitated Objects." 8/18/2001.) I was hoping to find that LF "sweet spot", but it may require more than my 40 watts to be effective!

Also, here's a link to Youtube video of levitation at a low freq of 600 hz:

Youtube/watch?v=94KzmB2bI7s

[hottdog2007]

no that's wrong

oh maybe your right

you probably need 48 KHz to

levitate that ping pong ball,

but you only need 20 KHz to levitate some foam and water droplets.

The reason why the pingpong ball is prbly shaking is because it's obviously not levitating, it's getting rumbled by the subwoofer.

Any body can do that....

In order to do levitation, you should have some sort of reflector and controller....

[Doomsdaydev1ce]

Not necessarily, some laboratories have achieved levitation with frequencies well within the audible range.

Besides, I think you mean 48,000Hz, not 48,000KHz, as that would be 48,000,000Hz, or more appropriately 48MHz

[daxas02]

lol is it not more the sound vibration from the speaker making the pong ball move! lol

[MrfixitRick]

I can get styrofoam beads to shoot to the ceiling, so it's more than sound vibrations. There is a column of air pushed put of the speaker hole that you can feel several feet away. The air goes in, and out, of the speaker hole at the same time.

[blackalias1]

Lol, you do know that it didnt work right?

[bikerboomer]

No way, i did this same thing with my logitechs, thats so funny to see up here. its just the air that moves it, lol :)

[MrfixitRick]

Hey, great minds think alike! haha

[bitsyray]

I wanna do that with my sub, but the port is too big =[

[MrfixitRick]

Perhaps use a balloon??

[bitsyray]

.. HMMM sounds good i will give it a go. thanks for the idea.

[bonzonobeans]

You're just duplicating what happens at a rock concert

It's the energy in the soundwave pushing a lot of air around

Even if you collumnate the air flow, you'll be driving a pretty inefficient motor

Suggest you put a long CLOSED perspex pipe, the width of the pingpong ball, on the output of the speaker and drive the speaker so that you can set up a standing wave inside the pipe, Use a wavelength that is the same size as the ball 4cm - so about C9 (i.e. the note c that is 9 octaves above middle c)

[MrfixitRick]

Thanks for your smart response!

I'm aware that higher frequency standing waves can be used to levitate and manipulate objects.

However, I was trying for lower-frequency effects, hopefully with the the ping-pong ball supported by a succession of vortex waves emitted from the speaker port.

[MrfixitRick]

At certain frequencies I could feel an air flow upward from the speaker port. How is this possible, since the speaker box is closed? It is because there is also a constant flow into the hole at the same time. Sucking in at the edge of the hole and blowing out at the center.

The effect works best with certain notes or resonating frequencies, and can be seen with incense smoke held near the port.

[bonzonobeans]

I don't really know, but one reason might be that to some extent, your speaker is collumating the air a little - so the outflow is directed out the speaker hole. Any air that is being sucked in, is being obtained from all the air that is surrounding it - i.e. it's undirected.

[MrfixitRick]

Thanks for comment...Yes, there is definitely a directed column of air that comes out of the center of the speaker port. (You can feel with your hand)

I was hoping to set up a standing vortex ring just above the port. I think it can be done with a higher-powered speaker. This speaker is only 40 watts max.

[bonzonobeans]

sounds interesting.

Why don't you just make your own high powered speaker? that way you have total control over power output, and how it's constructed?

[MrfixitRick]

Hehe, I have been collecting parts for that, and have a 10" bass that I will experiment with.

Basically, it will be a computer-controlled continuous vortex ring generator. I have a smoke machine to add to the fun!

[bonzonobeans]

I will be interested to see your results.. can you ping me?

[MrfixitRick]

Sure...just know it could be a while, with about a dozen other projects requiring my semi-urgent attention right now! Maybe subscribe to my channel. I will make a movie about the project.

[bonzonobeans]

Master wolf.

what you just described is exactly a sound wave.

A soundwave is a periodic varition in air pressure - you can go on to modulate that air pressure however you like, but the basic fact remains that a subwoofer creates low-frequency air waves, which is what you feel at a rock concert, and it's what is being explored here, and it's also what you just described.

[bonzonobeans]

erm... so it IS the sound waves, the opposite of what you posted.

[MagnusRulerHardt]

You could use it as a launcher! WIthoiut the screw..

[MrfixitRick]

I had fun with styro beads inside a clear plastic tent that I made from the floor to the ceiling. The speaker port would push some beads high, at the same time as sucking beads into the port; pushing and pulling at the same time. Sorta like AC electrical current.

Took a while to get the beads out of the speaker...it required some heavy Wolf Parade bass, and every once in a while a couple would pop out!

[ymi2b]

logitech speakers don't produce efficient enough sound waves, you should've tries Bose speakers... yeah, I'm really techy like that. YOu can pay me later. .. seriously, though, you probably could've hoovered it. I do it with my kids over big speakers all the time. Sure, they're deaf now.. but it's cool.

[Slipknlov]

ok, turn the music down a lot and see if the ball levitates with the sound waves.

[MrfixitRick]

Actually, my thinking is to try a 500 watt speaker instead of the puny 40 watt in this test!

[renderrob]

ya, this doesn't count as accoustic levitation. See the youtube video titled Acoustic Levitation Chamber.

[Brunomak]

Sorry man, but this is not an accoustic levitation.

[MrfixitRick]

Sorry, but it's spelled acoustic. And sound waves certainly do affect the levitation effect, even if it is mostly aerodynamic and vibrational in nature.

[Curixq]

I think the screw is puched by the magnetic field of your speaker.

[MrfixitRick]

I had not thought of the screw being affected by the speaker. I just tried a test and it doesn't affect it at all.

The screw is just ballast, and keeps the ball centered over the hole.

[MagnusRulerHardt]

I think the light ball is pusshed by the soundwaves.. :9

[MrfixitRick]

Perhaps you could try an experiment.

You could try using a stick of incense or candle to see what happens to the smoke or flame when it's close to the sound port of a bass speaker.

Is it air velocity or soundwaves or both that forms the force which moves the smoke/flame?

[MagnusRulerHardt]

Whatever..

[zombola]

this isnt acoustic levitation, this is just air pressure blowing the ball. Like the malteser advert!

[MrfixitRick]

The air pressure is generated by acoustic resonance means. I was attempting to create a standing air vortex created by by both sound and speaker cone action against the air.

[bloodgun3]

this isnt acoustic levitation

acoustic levitation is when an object gets caught in standing waves. standing waves are produced when a compression and interference combine. this is some guy that noticed the his speaker was loud

[murfmeef]

Interesting idea, I like it.

Imagine what a large scale version of an acoustic/pnuematic engine would sound like.

[MrfixitRick]

Someday I will try my 1000 watt car amp and 12" bass instead of paltry 40 watt unit with 5 inch speaker, above. Maybe make a tennis ball launcher!

[ZeroSignificus]

HAHA, acoustic tennis ball launcher... i like that idea.

[JediHitchHiker]

good stuff, I like your videos. You might try playing intervals and chords.

[demidastard]

try using a higher frequency

[MrfixitRick]

When I tried higher frequency, the oscillations became less to none, although some higher notes have a little more of an effect than others. However, the main effect here is from the vortex column of air that rushes out of the speaker port at the same time as air is being sucked into the port. This phenomenon seems to happen best at lower frequencies and is a different effect than the Acoustic Levitation Chamber of drdeak, for example.

[blade25k]

not levitaion, if that was levitaion the ball wouldnt be bouncing all over, witch got anoying as hell the first 10 seconds, you my retard need to be kicked in the nuts b4 you have kids.

[MrfixitRick]

rom Wikipedia dictionary..".Aerodynamic levitation is commonly seen in air hockey where jets of gas from the table push upwards against the puck. Levitating objects may also force air downwards e.g. Helicopters, VTOL aircraft, and hovercraft. A sphere can be stably levitated in a stream of air without any type of control system, if conditions are right. This was merchandised as a toy, circa 1960"

[MAXxxyz]

Yes thats right ... Things can be levitated by streams/jets of air ... but ... that has noting with speakers to do ... a speaker pushes the air back and forth quickly. Of course, doing this at a low frequency and a high amplitude, can make a ball bounce around, but it has nothing to do with acoustic levitation...

[MrfixitRick]

The speaker pushes air back and forth quickly, yes, but at the sound port you will find a constant outflow and inflow at the same time . There's a constant vortex of air out at the center, and air going in only at the outer edges of the hole. It acts much like a fan. It would levitate the ball with a bigger speaker than 40 watt I used. Use smoke to see what I mean.

[mason210]

Thats just air btw...

[MrfixitRick]

Yes, just air, and airplanes fly in it. Ever see one?

[mason210]

yeah acctually, but that's not levitation as you advertise.

[MrfixitRick]

From Wikipedia dictionary..".Aerodynamic levitation is commonly seen in air hockey where jets of gas from the table push upwards against the puck. Levitating objects may also force air downwards e.g. Helicopters, VTOL aircraft, and hovercraft. A sphere can be stably levitated in a stream of air without any type of control system, if conditions are right. This was merchandised as a toy, circa 1960"

[mason210]

Oh sorry I was getting my levitation and anti gravity mixed up. yeah you're right that is Aerodynamic levitation .

[pinkstarchicken]

well, not really, its acoustic levitation, sound is making it levitate. but, when you look at it at a microscopic level, it is aerodynamic levitation, but not really. but i can see where you get aerodynamic levitation. i just did a acoustic levitation experiment about 10 min. ago and sucsessfully levitated a peice of styrofoam with 100hz.

[MrfixitRick]

if you were to use smoke to see how the air flows you would see that it is not the sound that disturbs the ball or styro, but the vortex ring of air that exits, and enters, the speaker at the same time.

[socal04]

damn u breakin necks when u go out! ight man i'll take a look at that. peace

[socal04]

naw man lol i have not, y have u? u doin some david blaine tricks? lol i think his name's spelled correctly

[MrfixitRick]

Sometimes I think my Tercel is levitating when I crank up the 1000 watt amp and max out the 12" woofer that takes up half the back seat! Otherwise, check out a Youtuber called "basspig" for a REAL flying carpet, levitated by sub-bass...

[socal04]

how long have u had it ? oh and yea i c what was the point of ur vid

[MrfixitRick]

I've had it two years. Have you had any experience with levitation from sound or air?

[socal04]

would u recommened that 49e keyboard u have? bcuz i been thinkin of gettin 1 but... i heard that the usb pluggin in the back of the keyboard is very fragile, and i dont want it 2 break like.. weeks later so what u think man?

[MrfixitRick]

I have had no trouble with it and I'm not exactly dainty with equipment. However, the USB cable is the first thing that touches at the back, meaning if you push against something or don't support the cable properly it could give. There may be other keyboards with more features and a better USB connection.

[MrfixitRick]

BUT If you hold the paper a couple of inches or more from the port, you see the air blows OUT quite forcefully. That, in short, was the updraft I was hoping to catch. The initial blast will sometimes pop the ball up, but I couldn't catch the vortex wave to keep it going! Perhaps more power will work...this video I used a cheap computer speaker...I have 12" woofer and 1000 watt stereo to work with next to make a combo vortex ring launcher and levitator. Stay tuned!

[DeimosSaturn]

You can have true levitation by creating a standing wave. But this requires extremely high frequency high amplitude waves, not low frequency. All low frequency will do is make stuff vibrate which is nothing special.

[MrfixitRick]

haha thanks, you "nailed" it! If I can get it to pitch as fast as a real screwball I'll be real happy!

[drdeak]

I get it! A screw ball.