An approach called optoelectronic tweezers might allow scientists to manipulate small objects using light, similar to the "tractor beam" of Star Trek.

Scientists at Cornell University report they can now use a light beam carrying a single milliwatt of power to move objects and even change the optical properties of silicon from opaque to ...

Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity has long baffled and amazed scientists. It explains how objects behave when they move close to the speed of light.

Researchers have found a way to use light to pull objects over tens of centimeters — a precedent in the field of optical trapping. Publishing in Nature Photonics this week 1, the team, including ...

To apply ghost imaging to moving objects, the new method uses a small number of light patterns to capture the position and trajectory of the object.

By analyzing single particles of light, this camera system can reconstruct room-size scenes and moving objects that are hidden around a corner. This work could someday help autonomous cars and ...

Einstein’s special theory of relativity shows that two objects traveling at near light-speed won’t see each other moving at twice the speed of light.

The autonomous vehicle industry is exploring “frequency modulated continuous wave” (FMCW) lidar to solve this problem. Researchers have built a way that this type of lidar could achieve ...

Light’s new trick is fancier than a boring push: It created the more complicated force called lift, evident when a flow in one direction moves an object perpendicularly. Airfoils generate lift ...