Tractor beams and space suits: making sci-fi a reality

Tractor beams are a favourite of science-fiction authors, enabling suitably equipped spacecraft to move objects over large distances. They are also the inspiration for scientists and this talk tells the story behind the invention of the world’s first acoustic tractor beam. As they use sound to push and pull the objects, they need a gas or liquid in which to work, so these are earth-bound devices. Researchers are now using these devices to move microscopic objects to manufacture new materials and tissues. But just how large an object can be held in a tractor beam?

"Even after 400 generations in villages and cities, the open road still softly calls, like a nearly forgotten childhood song."
The human need for exploration, famously expressed by Carl Sagan, persists. Interplanetary travel and human settlements on the Moon and Mars are swiftly materializing, yet long-term exposure to low gravity remains a significant hurdle for viable space travel. Emanuele Pulvirenti aims to design a lower-body soft exosuit to help humans adapt to low gravity environments. The device will also have a major impact on how we approach rehabilitation here on Earth.