A method for identifying a mechanical impedance of an electromagnetic load may include generating a waveform signal for driving an electromagnetic load and, during driving of the electromagnetic load by the waveform signal or a signal derived therefrom, receiving a current signal representative of a current associated with the electromagnetic load and a back electromotive force signal representative of a back electromotive force associated with the electromagnetic load. The method may also include implementing an adaptive filter to identify parameters of the mechanical impedance of the electromagnetic load, wherein an input of a coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a first signal derived from the back electromotive force signal and a target of the coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a second signal derived from the current signal.

A driving assembly is provided, including a transmission element and a first driving source. The transmission element has a first connecting point. The first driving source outputs a first driving force to the transmission element. The first driving source is at least partially fixedly connected to the transmission element at the first connecting point.

A thin film actuator having transversely oriented structural stiffeners that serve to increase actuation stroke that results from longitudinal curvature. The thin film actuator may be deployed within electromechanical devices such that an actuatable deflection of a tip of the actuator plate produces the actuation stroke. The thin film actuator may include an actuator plate affixed to a substantially rigid frame structure. The actuator plate protrudes along a longitudinal axis away from the frame structure such that the actuator plate is cantilevered from the frame structure by some distance along this longitudinal axis. The thin film actuator includes a piezoelectric film on a surface of the actuator plate. Activation of the piezoelectric film generates tensile stress or compressive stress at the surface, thereby inducing a bending moment that causes the actuator plate to undergo longitudinal curvature and some lesser degree of transverse curvature.

A vibration driving device that improves controllability in low speed driving. The vibration driving device includes a vibration actuator that includes a vibrator that has an elastic member and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element, a contact member that contacts the vibrator, and a control device that controls drive of the vibration actuator. The control device includes a speed detection unit that detects speed information showing relative speed of the vibrator and the contact member, and an adjustment unit that decreases amplitude of vibration excited in the vibrator in a case where the speed detection unit detects that a state where the vibration actuator does not operate approximately and a state where the vibration actuator operates at a speed faster than a target driving speed occur alternately after starting to drive the vibration actuator.

A piezoelectric driving device includes: a driving portion to be brought into frictional contact with an object to be driven, which is moved with respect to a fixed body; and at least two piezoelectric portions, which are formed integrally with the driving portion, are arranged on a predetermined plane with the driving portion being sandwiched between the at least two piezoelectric portions, and are configured to be bent with respect to the predetermined plane when voltages are applied to the at least two piezoelectric portions, wherein outer edges of entirety of the at least two piezoelectric portions are fixed to the fixed body.

A piezoelectric driving device includes: a driving portion to be brought into frictional contact with an object to be driven, which is moved with respect to a fixed body; and at least two piezoelectric portions, which are formed integrally with the driving portion, are arranged on a predetermined plane with the driving portion being sandwiched between the at least two piezoelectric portions, and are configured to be bent with respect to the predetermined plane when voltages are applied to the at least two piezoelectric portions, wherein outer edges of entirety of the at least two piezoelectric portions are fixed to the fixed body.

Disclosed are an ultrasonic linear motor and a method of driving the same. The ultrasonic linear motor includes a vibrator including an elastic portion and a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element which are disposed on two surfaces of the elastic portion, a moving shaft coupled to the vibrator and moved according to a displacement of the vibrator, a mover inserted into and coupled to the moving shaft, and a controller which applies a first driving pulse and a second driving pulse to the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element, wherein a frequency of the first driving pulse and a frequency of the second driving pulse are set to a frequency between a resonant frequency at which an impedance is minimum and an anti-resonant frequency at which the impedance is maximum.

In certain examples, methods and semiconductor structures are directed to operation of a piezoelectric-based device (e.g., a DC-DC converter) and such operation may involve selectively switching inputs of the piezoelectric-based device at a modulation frequency and, in response, decoupling of the modulation frequency from output power delivered by the piezoelectric-based device. In some examples, the inputs of the piezoelectric-based device are selectively switched to cause decoupling the modulation frequency from output power delivered by the piezoelectric-based device and/or cause operation of the piezoelectric-based device without spurious mode operation.

An actuator including a beam configured to support an object to be driven, and a drive source to which a drive signal is input, wherein the drive signal includes a drive waveform in a shape of sawtooth waveform, a rising of the drive waveform in the shape of sawtooth waveform includes a first staircase waveform and a second staircase waveform continuing from the first staircase waveform, the first staircase waveform generates oscillation of a ringing suppressing waveform for suppressing a ringing waveform to be generated in the second staircase waveform, and the object to be driven is driven to swing in a direction of rotating around the predetermined axis by driving the drive source.

Provided is a novel actuator that can easily achieve movement with multiple degrees of freedom. An actuator includes a flexible electrode, a first base electrode disposed to face the flexible electrode on the Y-axis and provided with a first insulating layer on an opposite face, a second base electrode disposed to face the flexible electrode on the X-axis and provided with a second insulating layer on an opposite face, and a first output member and a second output member adapted to be displaced according to deformation of the flexible electrode. A first space is formed between the first insulating layer and the flexible electrode, in which the flexible electrode deforms toward the first insulating layer by an applied voltage. A second space is formed between the second insulating layer and the flexible electrode, in which the flexible electrode deforms toward the second insulating layer by an applied voltage.