A piezoelectric base material includes an elongated inner conductor, and a piezoelectric layer covering a periphery of the inner conductor. The piezoelectric layer includes a piezoelectric yarn wound around the inner conductor, and an adhering section that maintains a state in which the piezoelectric yarn is wound around the periphery of the inner conductor. The piezoelectric yarn includes an optically active polypeptide fiber that is a fiber including an optically active polypeptide. The piezoelectric layer has an elastic modulus Y of from 1.0 GPa to 8.0 GPa as measured by a microhardness measurement in accordance with JIS Z 2255.

A piezoelectric body that is excellent in endurance, flexibility and bendability is achieved. A piezoelectric member includes: belt type first and second conductive rubber sheets that face each other; and a piezoelectric layer formed between an upper surface of the first conductive rubber sheet and a lower surface of the second conductive rubber sheet. The piezoelectric layer is made of a piezoelectric coating material with which at least either one of the upper surface of the first conductive rubber sheet and the lower surface of the second conductive rubber sheet is coated. When a pressure is applied to the piezoelectric layer through at least either one of the first conductive rubber sheet and the second conductive rubber sheet, a potential difference is generated between the first conductive rubber sheet and the second conductive rubber sheet.

This disclosure relates to fiber actuators for providing haptic feedback, and haptic actuation resulting from mechanical and/or electrostatic (non-mechanical) interactions with the fiber actuators. Such fiber actuators are useful in structural materials, including as elements of wearables or accessories.

A piezoelectric substrate attachment structure including a cable-shaped piezoelectric substrate, a press section provided adjacent to the piezoelectric substrate and pressed from an opposite side from the piezoelectric substrate, and a base section provided adjacent to the piezoelectric substrate on an opposite side from the press section. A ratio Eb/Ea of a Young's modulus Eb of the base section to a Young's modulus Ea of the press section being 10.sup.1 or lower.

Methods and apparatus related to arrays of piezoelectric strands. Some implementations are directed to using an array of piezoelectric strands, along with associated driving and sensing components, to enable determination of one or more properties of external force(s) applied to the array, such as what areas of the array have external force being applied, a measure of the applied external force(s), material properties of object(s) applying the external force(s), etc. Each of the piezoelectric strands of an array may include at least a longitudinally extending piezoelectric material and a longitudinally extending conductive electrode.

This disclosure relates to fiber actuators for providing haptic feedback, and haptic actuation resulting from mechanical and/or electrostatic (non-mechanical) interactions with the fiber actuators. Such fiber actuators are useful in structural materials, including as elements of wearables or accessories.

A piezoelectric wire of the present invention includes a conductive wire 11 and a polymer piezoelectric layer 12 that coats the conductive wire 11. The polymer piezoelectric layer 12 contains a -phase polyvinylidene fluoride-based copolymer, and the conductive wire 11 has a wire diameter of 1.0 mm or less. The -phase polyvinylidene fluoride-based copolymer is preferably at least one selected from a vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer and a vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer.

Embodiments of the invention include an active fiber with a piezoelectric layer that has a crystallization temperature that is greater than a melt or draw temperature of the fiber and methods of forming such active fibers. According to an embodiment, a first electrode is formed over an outer surface of a fiber. Embodiments may then include depositing a first amorphous piezoelectric layer over the first electrode. Thereafter, the first amorphous piezoelectric layer may be crystallized with a pulsed laser annealing process to form a first crystallized piezoelectric layer. In an embodiment, the pulsed laser annealing process may include exposing the first amorphous piezoelectric layer to radiation from an excimer laser with an energy density between approximately 10 and 100 mJ/cm2 and pulse width between approximately 10 and 50 nanoseconds. Embodiments may also include forming a second electrode over an outer surface of the crystallized piezoelectric layer.

Provided is a piezoelectric substrate including: an elongate conductor; and an elongate first piezoelectric material helically wound in one direction around the conductor, in which the first piezoelectric material includes an optically active helical chiral polymer (A), the lengthwise direction of the first piezoelectric material and the principal orientation direction of the helical chiral polymer (A) included in the first piezoelectric material are substantially parallel to each other, and the first piezoelectric material has an orientation degree of F in a range of from 0.5 to less than 1.0, determined from X-ray diffraction measurement by the following Formula (a):

orientation degree F.=(180???)/180?(a)

(in Formula (a), ? represents a half width of a peak derived from orientation).

A method is provided for growing a fiber structure, where the method includes: obtaining a substrate, growing an array of pedestal fibers on the substrate, growing fibers on the pedestal fibers, and depositing a coating surrounding each of the fibers. In another aspect, a method of fabricating a fiber structure includes obtaining a substrate and growing a plurality of fibers on the substrate according to 1?D printing. In another aspect, a multilayer functional fiber is provided produced by, for instance, the above-noted methods.