NASA developing tractor beams, no plans for Death Star… yet (video)

Fully functional LightSabre aside, a tractor beam must be high on most geek wish-lists; lucky for you NASA has got to work on one. Before you drop your sandwich (or whatever that object to your left hand is), this may not be for sucking up star cruisers, however the more modest task of sample and space dust collection. The elemental concept has already been proven , but now NASA’s Office of the manager Technologist has given boffins $100,000 to make the dream a reality. Three potential methods are already at the table, which in lay-terms resemble laser tweezers, a gentle vortex and a conceptual rippling beam. Once developed, it might signal the tip of traditional mechanical sample collecting — and just plain luck — consigning robotic arms to the history books. Check the video after the break for science-tastic mock up of ways it will possibly work.

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This post is tagged: Chief Technologist, dust collection, history books, laser tweezers, robotic arms