Acoustic levitation system, computer-implemented method for levitating an object, computer program and non-volatile data carrier

A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product configured for levitating an object relative to an acoustically reflective surface, said computer program code comprising computer instructions to cause at least one processing unit to perform the following operation:

• generating a control signal configured to cause at least one acoustic transducer array to emit acoustic energy of periodically varying intensity, each of the at least one acoustic transducer arrays comprising a set of transducer elements arranged on a surface extending in two or three dimensions, and the transducer elements being controllable in response to the control signal so as to emit the acoustic energy at a wavelength and a phase delay determined by the control signal, and the control signal being generated is configured to cause the transducer elements to emit interfering incident and reflected waves of the acoustic energy directed towards the acoustically reflective surface to thereby form an effective standing wave pattern where first and second pressure maximum regions are created at independently controllable first and second distances respectively from the acoustically reflective surface based on the control signal, where the first and second pressure maximum regions are of opposite phase to one another, and a pressure minimum point is created between the first and second pressure maximum regions.