Picture yourself floating on a large inflatable raft in a lake or pool, trying to propel yourself forward. It’s a familiar scenario – without the aid of paddles, sails, or an engine, you’re stuck in one place. But what if it were possible to harness the power of the water itself to move you?

A team of international researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery, developing a technique to manipulate water with unprecedented precision, reminiscent of science fiction. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize various fields, from molecular experiments to navigating boats across vast bodies of water.

The technique relies on the generation of waves. Through computer simulations and the use of 3D-printed plastic structures, the team created different types of waves in a water tank. One such structure consisted of a ring with 24 tubes connected to speakers, which produced low-frequency humming sounds that generated ripples in the water within the ring.

By adjusting the magnitude and frequency of the waves produced by these structures, the researchers created intricate patterns on the water’s surface, including loops and vortices. This allowed them to control the movement of floating objects, such as foam balls, ping pong balls, and grains of rice, with remarkable accuracy.

A study published in the journal Nature in early February details how the researchers utilized waves to achieve impressive feats, including holding floating objects in place and guiding them along circular or spiral paths. Notably, the movement of the objects was not significantly disrupted by small external waves, with deviations from their intended path limited to less than a fifth of an inch (approximately 5 millimeters). While it may seem like the stuff of fantasy, the underlying principles are firmly rooted in physics.

According to Shen Yijie, co-lead of the study from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, “Our findings mark the first step in exploring the potential of water waves to move objects, with numerous potential applications on the horizon.” This was stated in a university statement.

As an optical engineer, Yijie’s research on light patterns inspired this study. He and his colleagues had previously demonstrated that light waves could manipulate tiny particles within light patterns, leading him to wonder if water could exhibit similar behavior.

“We’ve demonstrated that water waves can be used to precisely move floating objects as small as grains of rice. Future research could explore even smaller waves, such as those on the scale of cells, which are hundreds of times smaller, as well as much larger sea waves that are a thousand times bigger,” Yijie added.

This technique could have significant implications on a molecular scale, allowing particles to be brought together without direct manipulation. On a larger scale, it could be used to control the movement of boats across bodies of water, although the impact of strong natural waves would need to be taken into account. Additionally, this technique might be used to move liquids within water, and similar water manipulation techniques could potentially be used to clean up floating chemical pollutants. However, it’s worth noting that large wave-generating structures would likely be required in large bodies of water.

Given the similarities between water waves, light waves, and electron movement, the researchers suggest that water could provide a more accessible means of studying certain quantum phenomena. If this seems like the stuff of science fiction, consider that future research could even explore the possibility of using water patterns to store data, as mentioned in the statement.

For now, the team aims to investigate whether waves can create similar patterns beneath the surface of the water.