this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2023
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[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 25 points 2 years ago (5 children)

Microwaves that use directed or reflected waves and to better direct or target energy to specific spots in food. Thermal vision in microwaves and more automated time/power controls.

Why are we still just blasting waves on a spinning dish as high as we can? Like we can pinpoint microwaves for devices with our routers, but we can do it for inside a controlled environment in a box?!

This is my evidence if someone tries to patent this and lock people out of making cool products that I said it here first!

[–] gens@programming.dev 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Cost-benefit is not there. You can buy fancy ones that do some such things, but they are expensive.

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Do you have any models in particular you are thinking of? I was in the market a few years ago when I thought of this, but couldn't find anything. So far I've found one's with weight, and ambient temp sensors, and a heating element and fan combination for roasting and convection, but nothing like what I've described.

[–] gens@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

Nah, sry. I just heard/read about them. One thing is using an inverter to control power instead of on/off timing. Other is using a bunch of sensors, that i remember as an idea many years ago.

https://shop.panasonic.com/products/homechef-4-in-1-multi-oven-1-2-cu-ft-1000w

Seems to have both (i just googled "fancy microwave" and it was the first result :)).

For my needs just a timer dial is enough.

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If you don't want multiple magnetrons (which would work too as a standard antenna in the wireless model of MIMO) you could use a electromechanical system, ie point magnetrons at reflective plates and move and adjust them to least direct the waves to a given point. Multi antennas I think would give a better granularity (because you can control the wave as well as direction and be able to time the peaks to hit inside a target vs just aiming the beams to a given spot). You may be able to get that with an electromechanical system, but it's not something I know of a lot of public info on, but if you could get a time division demux device for high power microwave that directs the different peaks to specific reflectors, you'd be good too.

Any openhard ware folks, please take this if you are interested!!!

[–] Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

In lighting effects an analogue could be a 'scanner', it reflects a stationary beam with a motorized mirror. Or you could mount the whole magnetron on a moving head!

[–] Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

You have a point! Did you know about inverter microwaves? now you have 2 options, full blast, and less full blast! https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/85575 this cool person found out about this in 1991, and now my microwave has it. Welcome to the future :D

[–] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Why don't we have microwave coolers yet?!?

[–] BluesF@feddit.uk -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Routers? Do you mean Wi-Fi routers? Because they certainly don't pinpoint waves for each device, they send all traffic out in all directions.

[–] emptiestplace@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Why 'correct' someone when their knowledge of a topic so clearly outstrips your own?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beamforming

[–] BluesF@feddit.uk 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I'm happy to accept that I was wrong, in fact this is a very interesting bit of technology! I didn't intend to be rude, unlike you, clearly.

I'd also like to add that beamforming, despite the name, does not actually involve creating a directed beam. As I described the antenna still sends a signal out in all directions - multiple antennae work together to create an interference pattern with a stronger signal where a device is located. While I wasn't aware of this technology, it is not as "directed" as the name implies and wouldn't necessarily have applications inside a microwave oven, especially since the wavelengths used are pretty long, so I don't think they would not have much flexibility to create the kind of precise pattern that cooking something while skipping the empty space would require.