Stator modules are disclosed. Stator modules may include: a stator body; a working surface supported relative to the stator body; and a plurality of electrical conductors, each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors extending along a respective portion of the working surface and operable to generate a magnetic field to facilitate moving, relative to the working surface, a magnetized mover in the magnetic field in response to electrical current through the electrical conductor. Robotic systems including such stator modules are also disclosed.

A hybrid spherical motor includes a first gear box, a second gear box, a yoke arm, a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor, a spherical stator, and a spherical armature. The split armature, in response to the spherical stator being energized, rotates about a first rotational axis, thereby causing the first gear box input connection and the second gear box input connection to rotate about the first rotational axis, and the yoke arm rotates about the first rotational axis in response to the first gear box input connection and the second gear box input connection being rotated about the first rotational axis, whereby the BLDC motor rotates about the first rotational axis.

For efficient presentation of pseudo force sense, a pseudo force sense generation apparatus includes: a base mechanism; and a contact mechanism that performs periodical asymmetric motion relative to the base mechanism and gives force based on the asymmetric motion to skin or mucous membrane with which the contact mechanism is in direct or indirect contact. A mass of the contact mechanism is smaller than a mass of the base mechanism, or the mass of the contact mechanism is smaller than a sum of the mass of the base mechanism and a mass of a mechanism that is attached to the base mechanism.

An optical unit with a shake correction function includes a movable body, a gimbal mechanism, a fixed body and a magnetic drive mechanism. The gimbal mechanism includes a gimbal frame, a first connection mechanism turnably connecting the movable body with the gimbal frame around a first axis, and a second connection mechanism turnably connecting the fixed body with the gimbal frame around a second axis. The first connection mechanism includes a first spherical body, a first spherical body fixing part to which the first spherical body is fixed in one of the movable body and the gimbal frame and, in the other, a first spherical body support part having a first concave curved face which faces the first spherical body fixing part and contacts with the first spherical body, and the first spherical body fixing part has a first fixing hole to which the first spherical body is partly fitted.

A method for operating a planar drive system is specified. The planar drive system comprises a stator, a plurality of rotors and a main controller. The stator comprises a plurality of energizable stator conductors. Energizing of stator conductors of the stator can be controlled via the main controller. Each rotor comprises a magnet device having at least one rotor magnet. A magnetic interaction can be produced between energized stator conductors of the stator and the magnet devices of the rotors in order to drive the rotors. At least one individual rotor identifier is assigned to each rotor. An identification of the rotors is carried out by providing position information of the rotors and rotor identifiers of the rotors and linking the provided position information of the rotors to the provided rotor identifiers of the rotors via the main controller.

A transport device in the form of a planar motor having at least one transport segment which forms a transport plane and having at least one transport unit, which can be moved at least two-dimensionally in the transport plane, to allow more versatile process management, is provided in the transport device. At least one coupling apparatus for releasably coupling the transport unit to the coupling unit is arranged on the transport unit and, on the coupling unit in each case, the transport unit and the coupling unit can be coupled, at least temporarily, by the coupling apparatuses to form an assembly by way of a relative movement in the transport plane. The coupling apparatuses interact in the coupled assembly in order to limit a relative movement between the transport unit and the coupling unit in at least one degree of freedom of movement.

A vibration actuator that cooperates with a coil and a magnet to vibrate a movable body with respect to a stationary body, including: the stationary body including the coil and a core around which the coil is wound; a shaft part; and the movable body including the magnet, the movable body being movably supported by the stationary body via the shaft part, wherein the core is disposed along an axial direction of the shaft part, and includes a core-side magnetic pole to be excited by energization to the coil, the magnet includes a magnet-side magnetic pole disposed so as to face the core-side magnetic pole with a gap therebetween, and the vibration actuator further includes a spring part elastically supporting the movable body with respect to the stationary body, linearly movably in the axial direction in a reciprocating manner, and rotationally movably about an axis in a reciprocating manner.

A system is described in which a magnetic mover includes at least one mover identification device. The system also includes a stator defining a work surface and including an actuation coil assembly and at least one stator identification device operable to interact with the at least one mover identification device. One or more sensors are used to sense a position of the first magnetic mover. One or more stator driving circuits are used to drive the actuation coil assembly to thereby move the first magnetic mover over the work surface. The first magnetic mover includes one or more magnetic components positioned such that interaction of one or more magnetic fields emitted by the one or more magnetic components with one or more magnetic fields generated by the actuation coil assembly when driven by the one or more stator driving circuits enables movement of the first magnetic mover in at least two degrees of freedom.

A disclosed reluctance actuator includes a magnetizable stator, at least one coil, and a yoke. The coil is configured to generate a magnetic field in the stator and the yoke is configured to partially close the magnetic flux of the stator. The yoke is further configured as a movable element that performs lifting/tilting movements. An actuator system including a non-magnetic housing and a reluctance actuator is also disclosed. In the actuator system, the reluctance actuator may be at least partially located in the non-magnetic housing. A method of performing lifting/tilting movements of the yoke of a reluctance actuator is also disclosed. The method includes controlling a current in the at least one coil of the reluctance actuator to thereby generate a magnetic field in the stator. The magnetic field generates a lifting/tilting movement of the yoke due to interaction between the magnetic field and the yoke.

An optical element driving mechanism is provided, including a fixed portion, a movable portion, and a driving assembly. The movable portion is movably connected to the fixed portion and includes a holder to hold an optical element having a main axis. The driving assembly is disposed on the movable portion or the fixed portion for driving the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion.