An actuator device includes at least one actuator element, which consists at least partially of a magnetically shape-shiftable material and which is configured at least for the purpose of causing a movement of at least one actuation element in at least one direction of movement by means of a contraction, and having a magnetic contraction unit, which is configured for the purpose of supplying a magnetic field acting upon the actuator element in order to generate a contraction of the actuator element. In the region of the actuator element, field lines of the magnetic field are aligned at least substantially parallel to the direction of movement.

Provided is an information output apparatus including one or more information output units, wherein each information output unit includes a coil arranged to be connected to a power source, such that a current flows in the coil; a base unit configured to accommodate the coil; and a driving indicator, which is arranged in the base unit to be apart from and close to the coil to be driven by a current flowing in the coil and is configured to move in a first direction toward the coil and a direction opposite thereto to rotate while being connected to the base unit and to move in a second direction crossing the first direction to be recognized by a user.

A transducer system includes a housing having an opening, an electromechanical transducer within the housing, and an elastomeric boot over the opening. At least a portion of the elastomeric boot includes copper-comprising particles. In some applications, the copper acts as an antifouling agent and/or enhances the thermal conductivity of the elastomeric boot.

Compact and power efficient acoustically actuated magnetoelectric antennas for transmitting and receiving very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic waves utilize magnetoelectric coupling in a magnetic/piezoelectric heterostructure to provide voltage control of magnetization in transmission mode and magnetic control of electric polarization in receiving mode. The magnetoelectric antennas provide a power efficiency enhanced by orders of magnitude compared to magnetically or mechanically switching the magnetization. The antennas can be used in groups or arrays and can be combined to form VLF communication systems.

A magnetic field sensor includes a magnetic sense element and a shield structure formed on a substrate. The shield structure fully encircles the magnetic sense element for suppressing stray magnetic fields along a first axis and a second axis, both of which are parallel to a surface of the substrate and perpendicular to one another. A magnetic field is oriented along a third axis perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, and the magnetic sense element is configured to sense a magnetic field along the first axis. A magnetic field deflection element, formed on the substrate proximate the magnetic sense element, redirects the magnetic field from the third axis into the first axis to be sensed as a measurement magnetic field by the magnetic sense element. At least two magnetic field sensors, each fully encircled by a shield structure, form a gradient unit for determining a magnetic field gradient.

An electricity generating apparatus applied to footwear and an operating method thereof are disclosed. The electricity generating apparatus includes a stress plate, an electricity generating module and a charging circuit. The stress plate is disposed in footwear to bear a stress. The electricity generating apparatus generates magnetic field changes under the stress and induces the magnetic field changes to generate electricity. The charging circuit is coupled to the footwear and used to receive the electricity and selectively provide the electricity to the footwear.

Provided herein is an FeGa-base magnetostriction element that has specific characteristics with regards to magnetostriction along the longitudinal direction, and that shows a sufficiently high magnetostriction level along the longitudinal direction. The magnetostriction element is formed of a magnetostrictive material that is a monocrystalline alloy represented by Fe.sub.(100-)Ga.sub. ( represents the Ga content (at %), and satisfies 1419) or Fe.sub.(100--)Ga.sub.X.sub. ( and represent the Ga content (at %) and the X content (at %), respectively, X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Cu, and C, and the formula satisfies 1419, and 0.51). The magnetostriction element has a longitudinal direction with a first dimension, and a transverse direction with a second dimension smaller than the first dimension, the transverse direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal direction being parallel to the <100> crystal orientation of the monocrystalline alloy. The magnetostriction element, under a magnetic field applied parallel to an x-y plane of an x-axis representing the transverse direction and a y-axis representing the longitudinal direction and within an angle of 090 with respect to the x-axis, has an Lmax and an Lmin that satisfy 0LminLmax/10, and 100 ppmLmax1,000 ppm along the y-axis direction.

A system may include a magnetic shape memory (MSM) element having a long axis that extends from a first end of the MSM element to a second end of the MSM element. The system may further include a first solenoid, where a longitudinal axis of the first solenoid is positioned at a first angle relative to the long axis of the MSM element. The system may also include a second solenoid, where a longitudinal axis of the second solenoid is positioned at a second angle relative to the long axis of the MSM element and at a third angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first solenoid, where the longitudinal axis of the first solenoid and the longitudinal axis of the second solenoid are not parallel.

A piezoelectric cooling chamber and method for providing the cooling system are described. The cooling chamber includes a piezoelectric cooling element, an array of orifices and a valve. A vibrational motion of the piezoelectric cooling element causes an increase or decrease in a chamber volume as the piezoelectric cooling element is deformed. The array of orifices is distributed on at least one surface of the chamber. The orifices allow escape of fluid from within the chamber during the decrease in the chamber volume in response to the vibration of the piezoelectric element. The valve is configured to admit fluid into the chamber when the chamber volume increases and to substantially prevent fluid from exiting the chamber through the valve when the chamber volume decreases.

A cooling system and method for using the cooling system are described. The cooling system includes a plurality of individual piezoelectric cooling elements spatially arranged in an array extending in at least two dimensions, a communications interface and driving circuitry. The communications interface is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements such that selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements within the array can be activated based at least in part on heat energy generated in the vicinity of the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements. The driving circuitry is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements and is configured to drive the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements.