System and method for non-contact manipulation of objects via ultrasonic levitation are presented herein. In one embodiment, a method for a non-contact manipulation of an object includes: generating ultrasound field by an array of ultrasound transducers; lifting the object off a dispensing device by the ultrasound field; and levitating the object by the ultrasound field.

Methods and apparatus are provided for electrically addressing multiple ultrasonic transducers that are connected to a common electrical channel and housed within an imaging probe. An imaging probe may comprise an imaging ultrasonic transducer and a moveable element for controlling the direction of an emitted imaging beam, and an angle sensing ultrasonic transducer, where the angle sensing ultrasonic transducer is configured for determining the direction of an ultrasonic imaging beam. The angle-sensing transducer may be configured to direct an angle sensing ultrasonic beam towards an acoustically reflective substrate and provide a signal by detecting a reflected ultrasonic beam reflected from the acoustically reflective substrate, where the acoustically reflective substrate is positioned relative to the movable element such that motion of the movable element produces a change in the signal.

A sonar system includes a sonar transducer having a plurality of transducer elements and a transceiver. The transceiver generates transducer drive signals and receives transducer echo signals. The system includes control circuitry, which, in operation, selectively couples transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements to the transceiver. In a side scan mode of operation, the plurality of transducer elements are coupled to the transceiver, and in a forward scan mode of operation a subset of the plurality of transducer elements is coupled to the transceiver.

A speaker system includes a first speaker and a second speaker. The first speaker includes a first sound signal input interface configured to acquire a first sound signal, and a first sound emitter configured to output a first sound based on the first sound signal in a state in which a position of a host device is fixed. The second speaker includes a second sound signal input interface configured to acquire a second sound signal, a moving body that includes a position information acquisition interface configured to acquire information relating to position and that is configured to move based on the information relating to position, and a second sound emitter configured to output a second sound based on the second sound signal.

Methods and systems are provided for audio devices with enhanced directional operations. In a system that includes one or more audio output components, positioning information associated with at least a part of a user's body may be determined, the positioning information including at least orientation related information. The one or more audio output components may be controlled based on the determined positioning information, with the determined positioning information corresponding to a positional nature of the user within a three-dimensional space around the user, and where the controlling includes providing a three-dimensional audio environment according to the user.

Disclosed are systems and methods for focusing ultrasound transducers that include multiple separate, independently movable transducer segments.

A medical imaging system configured to analyze an acquired image to determine the imaging plane and orientation of the image. The medical imaging system may be further configured to determine a location of an aperture to acquire a key anatomical view and transmit instructions to a controller to move the aperture to the location. A sonographer may not need to move the ultrasound probe for the medical imaging system to move the aperture to the location. An ultrasound probe may include a transducer array that may have one or more degrees of freedom of movement within the probe. The transducer array may be translated by one or more motors that receive instructions from the controller to position the aperture.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide sonar systems for mobile structures. A sonar system includes a sonar transducer assembly including a sonar transducer, a sonar receiver configured to receive acoustic returns from the sonar transducer and convert the acoustic returns into arrays of time differentiated sonar data samples, and a logic device adapted to communicate with the sonar receiver. The logic device is configured to receive the arrays of the time differentiated sonar data samples from the sonar receiver and process the received arrays to enhance the time differentiated sonar data samples substantially without enhancing sonar artifacts in the time differentiated sonar data samples Processed sonar data and/or resulting imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the sonar transducer assembly and/or a mobile structure.

An automated blade crawler capable of scanning a multiplicity of non-destructive inspection sensors over a surface of an airfoil-shaped body such as a blade component. The blade crawler is movable in a spanwise direction, thereby enabling a sensor array to inspect the surface area on one or both sides of the blade component in one pass. The sensors concurrently output scan imaging data which is multiplexed, the multiplexed being transmitted (via an electrical cable or wirelessly) to data collection and display hardware at an operations control center.

Methods and systems are provided for audio devices with enhanced directional operations. In a system that includes one or more audio output components, positioning information associated with at least a part of a user's body maybe determined, the positioning information including at least orientation related information. The one or more audio output components may be controlled based on the determined positioning information, with the determined positioning information corresponding to a positional nature of the user within a three-dimensional space around the user, and where the controlling includes providing a three-dimensional audio environment according to the user.