VDATP - a Volumetric Display using an Acoustically Trapped Particle
This project is a volumetric display that draws images in mid-air, in color.
By using phased arrays of ultrasonic transducers, it is possible to levitate a small 1mm foam ball and move it around at speeds greater than 1m/s. By moving the ball very quickly and leveraging the persistance of vision effect, this project can draw images in mid-air in a volume of 100x100x140mm. RGB LEDs are used to illuminate the foam ball at various points in its path to create multi-color images. 4 FPGAs are used to convert a position into the phased signals needed to drive the transducers. The FPGA can also rotate, translate and scale the images. You can even create animations - see a video for an animation of a butterfly flapping its wings. Kicad schematics and PCB layouts, FPGA code and simulator code are provided as well.
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