A vibration actuator includes a vibrator including an elastic body and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element; a contact body provided so as to be brought into contact with the vibrator; a flexible printed board configured to feed power to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element; and a temperature detection unit provided on a region of the flexible printed board, in which the flexible printed board and the electro-mechanical conversion element overlap each other.

The present invention provides a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula (1):
(Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 (1.00≦a≦1.01, 0.125≦x<0.155, and 0.041≦y≦0.074)
as a main component. The metal oxide contains Mn in a content of 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate a driving force to be transmitted to a driven portion; and a power supply portion that supplies power to the plurality of piezoelectric elements. The plurality of piezoelectric elements are electrically connected to the power supply portion in parallel.

A vibrating body includes a substrate, a piezoelectric element comprising a piezoelectric layer and electrode layers and joined to the substrate, and a ceramic layer between the substrate and the piezoelectric element. The ceramic layer comprises a first region and a second region which is adjacent to the first region in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the ceramic layer. The first region has a square shape, each side of the first region having a length equal to a thickness of the ceramic layer, the second region has a square shape, each side of the second region having the length equal to the thickness of the ceramic layer, and a difference between a porosity of the first region and a porosity of the second region is not greater than 15%.

A vibration element includes: a substrate; a ceramic layer containing molten glass and provided on the substrate; and a piezoelectric element fixed to the substrate with the ceramic layer therebetween, wherein the piezoelectric element includes a first electrode layer provided in contact with the ceramic layer, a second electrode layer, and a piezoelectric layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the first electrode layer has a thickness larger than that of the second electrode layer.

An ultrasonic motor includes a vibrator configured to generate a vibration, a relatively movable member configured to be movable by the vibrator, wherein the relatively movable member is movable relatively according to the vibration of the vibrator, a holding unit configured to hold the vibrator, wherein the holding unit includes a first holding member configured to hold the vibrator and a second holding member; and a damping member provided between the vibrator and the second holding member and configured to reduce a vibration transmitted to the second holding member, a pressure unit configured to press the vibrator against the relatively movable member, wherein the second holding member is configured to press the vibrator against the relatively movable member, and wherein the first holding member is made of a material having a higher damping capability against the vibrator than a material of the second holding member.

A piezoelectric driving device includes: a piezoelectric vibrating body which includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements each formed of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and is disposed at least one surface of the first surface and the second surface of the vibrating plate, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are connected in series.

A robot including a manipulator having a plurality of joints and a base supporting the manipulator, includes a first piezoelectric motor and a second piezoelectric motor respectively having vibrators that transmit drive forces to a driven portion and performing rotary driving, wherein a distance between a rotation axis and the vibrator is smaller in the second piezoelectric motor than in the first piezoelectric motor, a plurality of the vibrators are placed along rotation axis directions in the second piezoelectric motor, and the second piezoelectric motor is placed closer to a distal end side opposite to the base than the first piezoelectric motor.

A piezoelectric drive device includes a vibrator having a vibrating portion including a piezoelectric element, and a convex portion placed in the vibrating portion, an urging member including a base, a holding portion holding the vibrator, and a spring portion coupled to the base at one end and coupled to the holding portion at another end and urging the convex portion toward a driven unit, wherein d1>d2 in a natural state in which the vibrator is not urged by the urging member, where a separation distance between the one end and the convex portion along directions of the longitudinal direction is d1 and a separation distance between the other end and the convex portion is d2, and |d1−d2| in an urging state in which the vibrator is urged toward the driven unit by the urging member is smaller than |d1−d2| in the natural state.

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.