In a driver for a piezo-electric transducer, when a converter circuit and a sensing circuit are the same circuit, many limitations exist on the accuracy of the sensing, due to multiple parasitic effects arising from the interconnection of the power devices. These limitations may limit viability of the sensing for many applications, in particular an accurate determination of when the force on the piezo-electric transducer is fully removed. Providing an additional switch in the sensing circuit configured to repeatedly zero the sensed voltage across the piezo-electric transducer each time the sensed voltage reaches a threshold voltage generates a plurality of voltage segments between zero and the threshold voltage. Accordingly, a controller may then be configured to generate a digital reconstruction of the sensed voltage across the piezo-electric transducer by adding the plurality of voltage segments.

An artificial tongue is provided. The artificial tongue includes tongue tissue formed by a bioprinting process, an antenna embedded within the tongue tissue and configured to wirelessly receive power from an external device, a processor embedded within the tongue tissue and operatively coupled to the antenna, and a piezoelectric element embedded within the tongue tissue and operatively coupled to the processor. The piezoelectric element is configured to deform in response to an applied electric bias, and the processor is configured to cause the electric bias to be applied to the piezoelectric element based on the power received by the antenna.

Provided are a flexible body and a method for controlling the flexible body to deform. The flexible body comprises one or more flexible units, wherein each of the flexible units comprises: a first electrode, a second electrode, an electroactive polymer layer, and a thin film transistor, wherein a source electrode or a drain electrode of the thin film transistor is electrically connected to the second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured to provide an electric field acting on the electroactive polymer layer, and the electroactive polymer layer is configured to deform in response to the electric field provided by the first electrode and the second electrode.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of magnetically controlled soft-bodied robots, and more specifically, relates to a controllable and reconfigurable magnetization system and method for a magnetic soft-bodied robot. The system comprises a pulse power supply module, magnetizing coil units axisymmetrically arranged up and down, and a magnetic soft-bodied robot placed between the upper and lower magnetizing units. By means of changing the relative current flow direction of the upper and lower magnetizing coil modules, radial and vertical magnetic fields can be generated between the magnetizing coils arranged oppositely without any mechanical movement, so that the internal magnetization direction of the magnetic soft-bodied robot can be configured simply and flexibly. The present invention realizes for the first time the particle magnetization and synchronization of bidirectional orientations, and decouples the material preparation process of the magnetic soft-bodied robot from the magnetization process, so that the entire manufacturing process is very simple. Moreover, the internal magnetization distribution is reconfigurable, which provides a completely new technical approach for realizing multifunctional magnetic soft-bodied robots.

According to one embodiment, a drive circuit includes a first circuit part. The first circuit part includes a first detecting part, a second detecting part, a first circuit, and a second circuit. The first detecting part is configured to detect a first piezoelectric element current flowing in a first piezoelectric element, and output a first detection signal corresponding to the first piezoelectric element current. The second detecting part is configured to detect a first capacitance element current flowing in a first capacitance element, and output a second detection signal corresponding to the first capacitance element current. The first circuit includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal. The first circuit is configured to apply a first drive signal to the first piezoelectric element and the first capacitance element. The second circuit is configured to supply a first differential signal to the second input terminal.

A cooling system is described. The cooling system includes a support structure, a cooling element, and drive electronics. The cooling element has a central axis and is supported by the support structure at the central axis. First and second portions of the cooling element are on first and second sides of the central axis and unpinned. The first and second portions of the cooling element undergo vibrational motion when actuated to drive a fluid toward a heat-generating structure. The cooling element further has first and second piezoelectrics having opposite polarizations. The first piezoelectric is part of the first portion of the cooling element. The second piezoelectric is part of the second portion of the cooling element. The drive electronics drive the first and second portions of the cooling element using a single drive signal.

A safety valve is provided with an electronic control unit for generating a control voltage. An electro-fluidic preliminary stage has a piezo bending actuator which can be actuated between a working position and a safety position by the control voltage and influences the flow of a secondary control fluid flow depending on its position. A fluid-mechanical main stage has an influencing device for influencing the flow of a primary working fluid flow. The influencing device can be actuated by means of the secondary control fluid flow which flows into a control chamber of the main stage. The control unit caries out a test of the preliminary stage repeatedly in an iterative manner after the expiration of a specified time interval. As part of the functionality test, the position of the piezo bending actuator is changed slightly by varying the control voltage.

An apparatus includes a vibration member and a first cover disposed at a rear surface of the vibration member. The apparatus also includes a first vibration apparatus disposed at a rear surface of the first cover and configured to vibrate the vibration member. The apparatus includes a first enclosure member disposed at the rear surface of the first cover and at the rear surface of the vibration member. The apparatus also includes a first rear vibration member disposed at the first enclosure member.

An optical element driving mechanism is provided and includes a fixed assembly, a movable assembly, and a driving assembly. The movable assembly is configured to be connected to an optical element and is movable relative to the fixed assembly. The driving assembly is configured to drive the movable assembly to move along a first axis relative to the fixed assembly.

Provided is a piezoelectric structure including a braid composed of a conductive fiber and piezoelectric fibers, the braid being a covered fiber having the conductive fiber as the core and the piezoelectric fibers covering the periphery of the conductive fiber, wherein the covered fiber has at least one bent section, and when the piezoelectric structure is placed on a horizontal surface, the height from the horizontal surface to the uppermost section of the piezoelectric structure is greater than the diameter of the covered fiber.