In a driver for a piezo-electric transducer, when a converter circuit and a sensing circuit are the same circuit, many limitations exist on the accuracy of the sensing, due to multiple parasitic effects arising from the interconnection of the power devices. These limitations may limit viability of the sensing for many applications, in particular an accurate determination of when the force on the piezo-electric transducer is fully removed. Providing an additional switch in the sensing circuit configured to repeatedly zero the sensed voltage across the piezo-electric transducer each time the sensed voltage reaches a threshold voltage generates a plurality of voltage segments between zero and the threshold voltage. Accordingly, a controller may then be configured to generate a digital reconstruction of the sensed voltage across the piezo-electric transducer by adding the plurality of voltage segments.

Provided are a flexible body and a method for controlling the flexible body to deform. The flexible body comprises one or more flexible units, wherein each of the flexible units comprises: a first electrode, a second electrode, an electroactive polymer layer, and a thin film transistor, wherein a source electrode or a drain electrode of the thin film transistor is electrically connected to the second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured to provide an electric field acting on the electroactive polymer layer, and the electroactive polymer layer is configured to deform in response to the electric field provided by the first electrode and the second electrode.

An electromechanical motor (1) comprises a stator (2) and a translator (10). The stator has two electromechanical actuators (20) having electromechanically active material (26) and means (35) for providing exciting signals. The translator is arranged between, and in driving contact with, driving portions (22) of the electromechanical actuators. The stator has a spring element (30) arranged for holding the driving portions against the translator. The electromechanical actuators are arranged for providing a vibration, which gives rise to a driving action, directed in a driving direction (X) perpendicular to the direction of the normal force, against the surface of the translator. The electromechanical motor further comprises a guiding means (50) having a circular hole (52). The translator has a cylindrically shaped guidance part (16) arranged at least partly in the circular hole. A tunable high-frequency filter comprising such a motor is also disclosed.

An acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate made of LiNbO.sub.3 or LiTaO.sub.3 and including first and second main surfaces that face each other, an IDT electrode provided on the first main surface of the piezoelectric substrate, and a Li.sub.2CO.sub.3 layer provided on the second main surface of the piezoelectric substrate.

A micromechanical component comprising a bracket and an adjustable portion arranged in an adjustable manner on the bracket. The micromechanical component includes a first bender actuator and a first support structure for the first bender actuator. The first bender actuator is arranged in or on the first support structure and is configured to bend the first support structure at least in the area of the first bender actuator arranged in or on the first support structure, such that the adjustable portion is displaceable relative to the bracket about a first rotational axis. The first support structure is directly connected to the adjustable portion. The micromechanical component additionally includes a first spring configured to suspend the first support structure for the first bender actuator and the adjustable portion from the bracket.

A touchpad module includes a touch member, a bracket, a piezoelectric vibration unit and an elastic element. The bracket is located under the touch member. A portion of the touch member is exposed to a first perforation of the bracket. The piezoelectric vibration unit is aligned with the first perforation of the bracket. The piezoelectric vibration unit has a first surface and a second surface, which are opposed to each other. The elastic element installed on the bracket and contacted with the second surface of the piezoelectric vibration unit. When the piezoelectric vibration unit vibrates, a first reaction force is generated between the first surface of the piezoelectric vibration unit and the portion of the touch member exposed to the first perforation, and a second reaction force is generated between the second surface of the piezoelectric vibration unit and the elastic element.

A manufacturing method for an electromechanical drive element comprises providing (S10) of an excitation body comprising at least one volume of electromechanical material. The excitation body has a metal plate integrated as a surface of the excitation body. The excitation body being arranged to cause shape changes of the electromechanical material and the metal plate when the volume(s) of electromechanical material being excited by a voltage signal. A composite drive pad is provided (S20). The composite drive pad comprises a metal portion directly joined to a ceramic portion. After the providing of a composite drive pad, the metal portion of the composite drive pad is irreversibly attached (S30) to the metal plate of the excitation body by use of a metal-based bond. An electromechanical drive element and an electromechanical motor using such an electromechanical drive element are also disclosed.

A locking isolator includes one or more joints. The one or more joints are configured to transition between a clearance fit state and an interference fit state in response to a change in temperature. The locking isolator includes a dampener. The dampener is configured to attenuate transmission of vibration through the one or more joints when the one or more joints are in the clearance fit state.

A vibration type actuator control apparatus, which uses a vibration from a vibrator to move a contact member, includes a control unit and a drive unit. The control unit includes first and second learned models, each having a neural network, and outputs control amounts for the drive unit to move the contact member. When a contact member moving target velocity is input, the first learned model outputs a first control amount as one of the control amounts. When a positional deviation is input, the second learned model outputs a second control amount as one of the control amounts. The drive unit moves the contact member using a value based on the first and second control amounts. The positional deviation is in association with a difference between a target position for moving the contact member and a detected position detected when the contact member is moved relative to the vibrator.

Disclosed is electromechanical actuator for ultrasonic motor in the shape of an n-sided regular polygon plate with n being equal to or greater than five. The polygon plate has two larger main surfaces and at least five smaller side surfaces connecting the main surfaces with each other. Two electrodes are arranged on one of the main surfaces and are electrically isolated from each other by a linear isolation area. One electrode is arranged on the other of the main surfaces. The polygon plate comprises an electromechanical material that undergoes a deformation when electric voltage is applied to the electrodes. The material of the electromechanical actuator comprises a single or polycrystalline piezoelectric ceramic with piezoelectric charge constant d31 differing from piezoelectric charge constant d32 both in sign and in value. The piezoelectric charge constants d31 and d32 define a first and second main deformation direction of the actuator perpendicular to each other. The orientation of the linear isolation area is parallel to either deformation direction.