Each year, the International Space University honors the memory of one of its greatest supporters, Dr. Gerald Soffen, with a lecture featuring a prominent visionary in the space sector. Few are more visionary than ISU’s Chancellor and Apollo 11 moonwalker, Dr. Buzz Aldrin.
Buzz Aldrin, most famously known as the second man to walk on the Moon is hands-on with the next big dream: humanity’s next big frontier – getting people to Mars.
On Tuesday 28th July 2016 at the Technion the 86-year-old space man addressed the 2016 class of the International Space University, sharing his experiences as an astronaut and his mission not only to fly people to the Red Planet, but also to “maintain a permanent human presence on Mars.”
“There’s no greater endeavor that humanity will undertake for generations to come than to create a permanent presence on another planet in the solar system.”
Recalling the impact of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon he said that, “The world welcomed us back as heroes. But we understood that they were [not] just cheering for three guys. It was what we represented: a nation, and the world coming together. We had accomplished the impossible and the true value of Apollo is the amazing story of innovation and teamwork that overcame many obstacles to reach the Moon.”
Buzz Aldrin earned his Doctorate of Science in Astronautics at MIT and wrote his thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous. He was selected by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts, and earned the nickname “Dr. Rendezvous.” The docking and rendezvous techniques he devised are still used today. He also pioneered underwater training techniques, as a substitute for zero gravity flights, to simulate spacewalking.
In 1966 on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Buzz set an EVA record for a 5 ½ hour spacewalk. On July 20, 1969, Buzz and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another world. They spent 21 hours on the lunar surface and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. An estimated 600 million people – at that time, the world’s largest television audience in history – witnessed this unprecedented heroic endeavor.
Since retiring from NASA, Buzz has remained a proponent of human space exploration. He devised a master plan for missions to Mars known as the “Aldrin Mars Cycler”, and has received three US patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules for space flight. He founded Starcraft Boosters, Inc., a rocket design company, and Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to addressing science literacy for children by igniting their passion for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) through delivering hands-on STEAM activities and inspirational messages.
Dr. Aldrin is an author of nine books including his New York Times best-selling autobiography entitled, “Magnificent Desolation”. He continues to inspire today’s youth with his illustrated children’s books: Reaching for the Moon, Look to the Stars, and recently released Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet. His 2013 book, “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration”, outlines his plan to get us beyond the moon and on to Mars. As one of the leading space exploration advocates, Buzz continues to chart a course for future space travel and is passionate about inspiring the younger generations of future explorers and innovators.
Representatives of Mazor Robotics Ltd, which was born in Prof. Moshe Shoham’s lab and the Technion incubator, attend the Closing Bell Ceremony at NASDAQ
Representatives of Mazor Robotics, founded at the Technion in 2001 through the tech transfer unit Technion T³, attended the Closing Bell Ceremony at NASDAQ on Wednesday July 13, 2016. The representatives from Mazor, including CEO Ori Hadomi, COO & VP R&D Eli Zehavi and Prof. Moshe Shoham of the Technion, were greeted by NASDAQ officials and representatives of ATS – the American Technion Society.
Attendance of the Closing Bell Ceremony is a NASDAQ honor generally granted to its listed companies at a milestone in their history. Mazor, traded on NASDAQ as MZOR since August 2013, was invited to ring the bell the day after the unveiling of its new robot, the Mazor X. The privilege of ringing the bell was given to Company CEO Ori Hadomi.
Mazor’s technology was born in the medical robotics lab at the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The head of the lab, Prof. Moshe Shoham, led the idea to commercial realization at the Technion incubator, together with student Michael Burman and Eli Zehavi, former director of engineering at Elscint (Israel) Elscint and currently COO & VP R&D at Mazor. The company was founded in 2001 at the Technion incubator and moved to the Caesarea industrial zone two years later.
Mazor Robotics develops robotic systems for back and brain surgery. Mazor’s systems, including the Renaissance robot, are used for treating back problems such as spine deformity, herniated discs and spine instability, and brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, which require accurate electrode insertion for deep brain stimulation (DBS). These systems, currently operating in over 120 hospitals, have been used in some 17,000 operations with more than 100,000 implants, and have never caused permanent nerve damage in any patient. The advantages of the system, according to Prof. Shoham, are its high precision, minimal invasiveness and the reduced dose of radiation for the patient and operating room staff. He said: “The launch of the Mazor X system, and the signing of an agreement with medical device giant Medtronics, is leading the company into a new era in terms of technology and in terms of the ability to realize our motto: Healing through Innovation.”
Researchers from the Technion and Rambam Health Care Campus have won Best Innovation Prize in an international competition. Their project: a dedicated robot for minimally invasive neurosurgery.
Researchers from the Technion and Rambam Health Care Campus have won the Best Innovation Award in the Surgical Robotic Challenge 2016. Twelve teams from around the world participated in the competition in London.
The Technion-Rambam team’s development is a robot for minimally invasive neurosurgery, intended for the removal of brain tumors of up to 6 cm in size. The robot is operated through a small keyhole in the skull using laser irradiation and tumor extraction. It does so using novel technologies of a needle assembly, real-time tumor detection and therapy of the cancerous tissue.
The robot was developed by Technion doctoral student Hadas Ziso, supervised by Professor Moshe Shoham, head of the Medical Robotics Laboratory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and Professor Menashe Zaaroor, faculty member of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Rambam. The robot is protected by a patent registered in the names of the three researchers and its first inventor, Assistant Professor David Zarrouk, who worked on the project in its early stages during his PhD at the Technion.
The needle assembly
The robotic device is composed of a needle assembly: a rigid outer needle and a self-reassembled inner needle. The outer needle is responsible for rotational movement and vertical movement into the tumor, while the inner needle is able to move laterally. Thus, in effect, three degrees of freedom are achieved.
“This project involved many challenges,” says Ziso. “Besides the challenge of miniaturizing the detection and treatment tool, we had to allow the passage of a 90-degree curve in order to minimize the outer needle diameter. For this purpose we developed an inner needle that is flexible enough to pass through the curve, but also strong enough to lead the diagnostic and treatment tool to the tumor accurately, while bearing lateral loads resulted from heterogeneous environment. The inner needle mechanism that we developed is based on a chain of tiny magnetic beads, that are partially separated and self-reassembled while passing through a minimal curvature path, Kevlar fibers (a composite material) that pull the mechanism inward, stainless steel links that hold the optical fibers and suction tube, and a polyurethane cover.”
The robotic treatment includes several preliminary stages. First, prior to surgery, MRI scans are performed, and the physician prepares the treatment plan on the MR images. Second, a few hours before surgery, the patient drinks a fluorescent medium (5-ALA) that accumulates in the tumor during surgery, so that the robot will rely on both the preliminary MR scans and the morphology of the tumor in real time.
Focused laser beam
During surgery, ultraviolet (UV) light is projected at the tumor via optical fibers, causing the emission of red light from the fluorescent medium, accumulated within the tumor. The red light allows accurate identification of the cancerous tissue in real time. Based on the information obtained from the detection tool, a high intensity laser is activated, projected from the tip of an optical fiber on the tumor in close range (1 mm) and ablates the tissue. During treatment, the real time detection is constantly activated to prevent damage to healthy tissue.
Ziso earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. The topic of her master’s thesis, supervised by Professor Eitan Kimmel, was treating malignant tumors using ultrasound and micro-bubbles. On completion of graduate school, she worked at InSightec and other biomedical companies. Four years ago, she began her doctorate under the supervision of Professor Shoham and Professor Zaaroor.
Two Israeli companies are involved in the development process: Prizmatix, which built the optical detection system, and Civan Advanced Technologies, which built the laser system. Hadas Ziso and Roman Shamsutdinov, an electronics engineer and member of the project team, attended the competition and demonstrated the robotic action to the judging panel.
Thursday 28 July, 2016 7.30pm to 9.30pm Churchill Auditorium Open to public upon registration
Panelists: Donald James (NASA Associate Administrator for Education), Hugo Maree (ESA Education and Knowledge Management Office), Jeremy Curtis (British National Space Centre).
One of its most important responsibilities of the world’s Space Agencies and commercial space companies is to educate and inform the public about the latest advances and discoveries in the space sector, and to develop programs that will inspire young people to pursue careers in science and technology.
As we begin the second century of flight, we must maintain its commitment to excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education to ensure that the next generation of explorers can accept the full measure of their roles and responsibilities in shaping the future. Education programs play a key role in preparing, inspiring, exciting, encouraging, and nurturing the young minds of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow.
This Space Education Panel features experts who each day lead activities to inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in STEM subjects to ensure the existence of a qualified workforce to ensure our progress in future space activities.
Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Lecture – Dr. Buzz Aldrin
Tuesday 26 July, 2016 7.30pm to 9.30pm Churchill Auditorium Open to public upon registration
Distiguished lecture by Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Chancellor, International Space University, Apollo 11, Gemini 12
Each year, ISU honors the memory of one of its greatest supporters, Dr. Gerald Soffen, with a lecture featuring a prominent visionary in the space sector. Few are more visionary than ISU’s Chancellor and Apollo 11 moonwalker, Dr. Buzz Aldrin.
Buzz Aldrin earned his Doctorate of Science in Astronautics at MIT and wrote his thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous. He was selected by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts, and earned the nickname “Dr. Rendezvous.” The docking and rendezvous techniques he devised are still used today. He also pioneered underwater training techniques, as a substitute for zero gravity flights, to simulate spacewalking.
In 1966 on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Buzz set an EVA record for a 5 ½ hour spacealk. On July 20, 1969, Buzz and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another world. They spent 21 hours on the lunar surface and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. An estimated 600 million people – at that time, the world’s largest television audience in history – witnessed this unprecedented heroic endeavor.
Since retiring from NASA, Buzz has remained a proponent of human space exploration. He devised a master plan for missions to Mars known as the “Aldrin Mars Cycler”, and has received three US patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules for space flight. He founded Starcraft Boosters, Inc., a rocket design company, and Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to addressing science literacy for children by igniting their passion for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) through delivering hands-on STEAM activities and inspirational messages.
Dr. Aldrin is an author of nine books including his New York Times best-selling autobiography entitled, “Magnificent Desolation”. He continues to inspire today’s youth with his illustrated children’s books: Reaching for the Moon, Look to the Stars, and recently released Welcome to Mars:
Making a Home on the Red Planet. His 2013 book, “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration”, outlines his plan to get us beyond the moon and on to Mars. As one of the leading space exploration advocates, Buzz continues to chart a course for future space travel and is passionate about inspiring the younger generations of future explorers and innovators.
Monday 25 July, 2016 7.30pm to 9.30pm Churchill Auditorium Open to public upon registration
Moderator: Chris Stott (CEO, ManSat LLC, MSS96)
Panelists: Meidad Parienete (CEO, Sky and Space), Daniel Rockberger (Co-Founder, NSL Comm and SkyFi), Ofer Lapid, Michael Potter (CEO, Paradigm Ventures, and Co-Founder, ESPIRIT Telecom).
An evening of insightful ‘to and fro’ conversation with proven space entrepreneurs who are leading advances in the global space markets with new services, products and technologies and all with deep ISU connections. Through this session, participants will learn about professional experiences of entrepreneurs in the space world. Speakers will share a very specific and personal outlook on their field of expertise.
Sunday 24 July, 2016 7.30pm to 9.30pm Churchill Auditorium Open to public upon registration
Moderators: Dr. Deganit Paikowsky (Senior Researcher, Yuval Neeman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security)
Panelists: Avigdor Blasberger (Israel Space Agency Director General), Amnon Harari (Director of Space Program Office, Defense R&D, Israel Ministry of Defense), Opher Doron (Director General, MBT-Space, Israel Aerospace Industries), Pini Gurfil (Director of the Asher Space Research Institute, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology), Ofer Lapid (Space Entrepreneur, SpaceNest), Avishay Gal-Yam (Senior Scientist, Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science), Nili Mandelblit (Space Domain Coordinator, Israel Europe R&D Directorate)
Ever since its early years Israel has been involved in advanced research and development activities in space. With its first scientific research rocket launched in 1961 and its first satellite launched in 1988 (making it the 8th member of the spacefaring nations club). Israel’s insistence on maintaining ability to design, build, test and launch its own satellites has led to advanced engineering achievements and a startup mentality with regards to space technologies. These achievements and this mentality goes on as Israel enters the age of New Space and ever growing accessibility to space.
The ‘Israel in Space’ panel will present all aspects of space in Israel, with representatives from government, academia, industry and startups.
Participants in the International Space University’s 29th Space Studies Program (SSP), currently being held at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, posed for a group photo from space yesterday (July 20th).
The photo, taken from a height of 520 kilometers, shows the 104 program participants lying on the main lawn of Technion campus in Haifa, with their bodies forming the letters ISU – the abbreviation of International Space University.
The photo was taken by the EROS-B satellite. The EROS observation satellites, built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and operated by the Israeli company ImageSat International (ISI), are equipped with a space camera manufactured by El-Op. ISI previously purchased two such satellites and ordered a third satellite last year, far more advanced than the existing models. EROS satellite photos are sold to both civilian and defense customers worldwide.
The highly acclaimed Space Studies Program (SSP) has been conducted annually by the International Space University since 1988. Each summer, it is held in a different host institution in locations spanning the globe. This is the first time it is being held in the Middle East – at Technion in Haifa, Israel. As part of the current session, SSP16, the Technion is hosting lectures and panels that are open to the public, free of charge. All the open events are held in English and require advance registration.
Monday 18 July, 2016 7.30pm to 10pm Churchill Auditorium Open to public upon registration
The International Astronaut panel is an annual highlight of each ISU session. ISU participants and the public will have the opportunity to interact with this outstanding group of astronauts who represent over 30 years of international spaceflight experience ranging from the Soviet MIR station to the International Space Station, and whom are training for missions in future spacecraft. The panel collectively represents over 3 years of spaceflight experience, and also includes an ISU alumna who was recently selected by NASA.
Sergei Krikalev holds the record for the most days in space by a human – 803 days, including 8 EVAs – accumulated during his 5 missions aboard Soyuz, Mir, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station – a flight career spanning from 1988 to 2005.
Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli flew on Space Shuttle Mission STS-120 in 2007, and flew on Soyuz to the International Station to serve as flight engineer for Expedition 26/27 during 2010-11. He is currently in training for ISS Expedition 52/53.
American Astronaut Jeff Hoffman flew five missions aboard four different US Space Shuttle from 1985 thru 1996, including the STS-35 ASTRO-1 astronomy labpratory mission, the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope repair mission, and the STS-75 US Microgravity payload mission.
Jessica Meir is a member of ISU’s MSS class of 2000, and was chosen by NASA as an astronaut in 2013. She completed her astronaut candidate training in 2015 and is currently in training for a future ISS crew assignment.
John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and the American Space Program
Sunday 17 July, 2016 7.30pm to 9pm Churchill Auditorium Open to public upon registration
Distinguished Lecture by: John Logsdon (George Washington University)
The 1961 decision by U.S. President John Kennedy to send astronauts to the moon “before this decade is out” remains the most dramatic choice in space history, and on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took ‘one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.’ The success of the Apollo 11 mission satisfied the goal that had been set by the US president, but also raised the question ‘What do you do next, after landing on the Moon?’ It fell to President Richard M. Nixon to answer this question, and his response has changed the course of the US space program ever since. ISU faculty member John Logsdon, author of the 2010 book “John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon” and the 2015 book “After Apollo?: Richard Nixon and the American Space Program” will discuss the reasons for Kennedy’s decision and the steps the young president took to turn the decision into a successful Apollo program, and will discuss the deliberations by President Richard Nixon to end the Apollo program and put the US space program on a different course.
Opening Ceremony Kicks off International Space University’s 29th Space Studies Program
The International Space University’s 29th Space Studies Program (SSP) has commenced and in a very special way. The Rappaport Hall and the Municipality of Haifa welcomed the 2016 group of 104 participants, coming from 24 countries, on 12 July 2016.
Space Studies Program Director, John Connolly of NASA, introduced participants, country by country, and led the 2016 ceremony.
John Connolly expressed:
“The International Space University (ISU) is pleased to bring its popular Space Studies program to Israel for the first time – the combination of Technion’s reputation as a leading technical institution, and Israel’s prominence in both aerospace and entrepreneurial activities make Haifa a perfect host city for this year’s Space Studies Program (SSP). SSP16 will bring over 100 student participants and 150 faculty and staff from over 30 countries together, making Haifa, for two months, one of the focal points of the space world. During the Space Studies Program, as part of the program, we will welcome Dr. Buzz Aldrin, the Chancellor of ISU, to the SSP in addition to many other space sector senior engineers, managers, and entrepreneurs from around the world.”
Additional Opening Ceremony speakers and special guest included:
Prof Walter PEETERS, president of International Space University
Prof Peretz LAVIE, president of Technion
Dr Christian SALLABERGER (SSP88), chairman of the ISU Board of Trustees
Mr Yona YAHAV, mayor of Haifa
Mr Peretz VAZAN, Director General of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space Israeli Government
Ms Rona RAMON, chairman of the Ramon Foundation Board of Trustees
Prof Jeffrey HOFFMAN, astronaut & Faculty of ISU
Prof John LOGSDON, Professor Emeritus Georges Washington University & Faculty of ISU
Mr Ofer LAPID, member of the ISU Board of Trustees
Prof Walter PEETERS, president of ISU said:
“The objective of the International Space University (ISU) is to hold the Space Studies Program each year in different parts of the world, in order to give a maximum of regions the chance to send participants. We are therefore delighted that Technion, one of the top-ranked universities worldwide, offered to host a session this year, allowing us to be, for the first time, in this part of the world and extending our reach out to different communities.”
Prof Peretz LAVIE, President of Technion responded:
“We are thrilled and honored that Technion is the first university in Israel (and the Middle East) to host the International Space University (ISU) 2016 Space Studies Program. A leading science and technology research university and a renowned center for applied research, Technion was also one of the first universities worldwide to launch a satellite into orbit and, through its active space program, intends to do so again next year. Technion faculty and graduates play a major role in Israel’s advanced and vibrant aerospace industry. Hosting a world class program such as this one will certainly help in further developing and deepening international collaboration in space research. Finally, I’m glad that ISU students and faculty will also have the opportunity to experience first-hand not only Technion and its immediate surroundings, but also the unique beauty and cultural diversity Israel has to offer.”
Mr. Peretz Vazan, Director General of Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology and Space said:
“The Ministry of Science, Technology and Space and the Israeli Space Agency are supporting the participation of Israeli students in this program, understanding its uniqueness, the wide perspective it provides, and its significant training to those who desire to continue professionally in the space field.”
“The decision by the International Space University to conduct the first study program in the Middle East in the City of Haifa is very flattering for the city and for its universal values. Haifa has always been an international model of peaceful cooperation and tolerance. I would like to welcome the arrival of distinguished guests to the city and to the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. I am particularly pleased to see the unique encounter between the future of humanity in space and the future of humanity that depends on humans living together here on Earth” said Mr. Yona Yahav, Haifa Municipality Mayor.
Also aired during the opening ceremony was a Special Video greeting to the ISU Space Studies Program 2016 Class from the International Space Station, by Astronaut Jeff Williams, commander of Expedition 48 to the ISS.
The Space Studies Program (SSP) is an intense two-month course for postgraduates and professionals from all disciplines. The curriculum covers all major principals of space related fields. The shared experience of an international, interactive environment is ideal for creating of an extensive, international, multidisciplinary professional network.
While the Opening Ceremony kicks off the following two months for participants and staff, it also marks the start of SSP events open to the public. Discovering the space industry and its applications with fun is fully part of the activities being held by ISU, all summer long in Haifa. All are welcome to get an inside look at ISU and SSP at the events listed below, amongst many others:
Robotics competition
July, 28th at 15.15 – ENG Building Atrium, Haifa Led by Dr. Eric Choi, Canada
Robotics competition
The task is simple: build and program a prototype robot that can explore on its own, differentiate surfaces, avoid obstacles, and collect valuable samples. And do it all on 2 days. In a competition with other robots. Thanks to LEGO Mindstorms, talent, and a lot of imagination, ISU participants, assisted by robotics experts, will design and build autonomous robots following precise specifications to stimulate planetary exploration. Their performance will be evaluated by a group of international experts, and awards given to the winning team of roboticist. Visitors of all ages are welcome to share an educational and fun experience.
Model Rocket launch
August, 19th at 8.00 – Kibbutz Gal’ed Led by Dr. John Conolly, ISU/NASA
Model Rocket Launch
International Space University conducts an annual rocketry launch competition during each Space Studies Program. Participants from ISU’s Engineering department are divided into international teams of four to design, construct and fly a rocket that will meet a set of difficult requirements for altitude, payload, data capture, and design style. Each team designs a unique rocket from a limited selection of body tubes, nose cones, rocket motors and other components, aided by computer design and simulation programs. Each rocket design passes several safety checks before it is certified to fly in the competition. Will the rocket attain the correct altitude? Will the fragile payload be returned safely? Will the vehicle fly straight and stable? It is a real-world challenge and the team with the best performance will be recognized for their hard work.
Technion scientists measure and record thermal motion in a water droplet; new kind of medical sensor may result
Graduate student Shai Maayani (Left) and Professor Tal Carmon
According to scientists from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, measuring a water droplet with a resolution comparable with the scale of a single atom will reveal that the droplet interface behaves like a miniature stormy sea. The waves in this ocean are generally referred to as “thermal capillary waves” and they exist even if the droplet is seen, to the naked eye, as being at rest.
Using that knowledge, the researchers developed technology to analyze the thermal capillary dynamics in a drop of water. The advancement could one day lead to a new generation of medical sensors that are able to identify abnormal cells.
The measurement of thermal capillary waves, performed by Mr. Maayani was made possible by turning the water droplet into a device the researchers called an “opto-capillary resonator.” The device was used to introduce light into a water droplet to record the thermal capillary motion inside it. Being able to accurately measure this activity means that it could also be possible to support a controlled energy exchange between light and capillary waves in the drop.
“The surface of a water drop is constantly moving, due to what is called ‘Brownian motion,’ or ‘thermal motion,’” said Prof. Carmon. “Thermal motion on the outer surface of a water droplet impacts many processes including breaking of a single drop into many smaller droplets.”
The researchers experimented with what are called “capillary oscillations” in a water droplet. These motions are governed by water‘s surface tension, the force that gives a drop of water its shape. Water droplets are a fundamental structure of self-contained liquid bounded almost completely by surfaces
In their experiment, photons (particles of light) were confined to circulate along the equatorial line of the droplet, at a depth of 180 billionth of a meter. Being so close to the drop interface, which host the thermal capillary waves, enabled recording this thermal motion of water.
According to the researchers, once inside the water droplet, light circulates up to 1,000 times around the circumference of the droplet, which helps in measuring the capillary waves. The number of times that light circulates is called ‘optical finesse’ and can be used to monitor the movements down to the size of 1/1000th of the very small wavelength of light.
“Optocapillary cavities can support a controlled energy exchange between light and capillaries,” explained the researchers.
When light waves and water waves co-resonate in certain ways – when they pass through one another – there can be an exchange of energy between the two types of waves. The data from that interaction could be used to develop a new type of sensor. For example, if a biological cell is placed into a water drop the cell’s reaction to waves – whether waves of light, water or sound – can reveal information about the nature of the cell.
“Based on a cell’s reaction to light, water and/or sound waves, it may one day be possible with the optocapillary resonator to determine whether a cell is normal or a malignant cancer cell,” concluded the researchers.
