The present disclosure provides distributed drive systems and methods of use thereof A distributed drive system may comprise one or more coils, one or more magnets, and at least one tread. A method for a distributed drive system may comprise the utilization of a plurality of voltage phases. The coils may comprise conductive wiring wrapped in a predefined form. In some embodiments, the coils may alternate in polarity. In some implementations, the coils may be attached directly to the frame of a larger machine or vehicle for uniform heat distribution. The magnets may comprise composite materials with ferrous portions. When the system comprises at least one tread, magnets may be embedded within the tread. In some aspects, the distributed drive system may be contained within a motive system of a machine or vehicle, thereby limiting the need for a transmission between a power source and the motive components of the machine or vehicle.

Provided is a linear motor capable of having enhanced thrust density. The linear motor includes a magnetic pole element and an armature including coils. The magnetic pole element includes magnetic pole element cores and permanent magnets. The magnetic element cores include first cores, second cores, third cores, and fourth cores, each aligned in the linear motion direction. The permanent magnets are interposed between mutually adjacent magnetic element cores among the magnetic element cores. The armature is divided into a first armature portion opposed to the first and third cores, a second armature portion opposed to the first and second cores, a third armature portion opposed to the third and fourth cores.

The present invention provides an electromagnetic suspension capable of suppressing interference with other components and devices, being mounted in a narrow space, and having a small thrust pulsation, a large thrust, and a high damping performance even for a high-frequency vibration source. An electromagnetic suspension of the present invention includes a linear motor that includes an armature and a permanent magnet portion, the armature including a winding and a magnetic body, the permanent magnet portion being disposed on an outer periphery of the armature and including a permanent magnet and a cylindrical magnetic body, and the armature and the permanent magnet portion being relatively linearly driven in the linear motor, in which a recess recessed from an outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical magnetic body and a protrusion protruding from the outer peripheral portion are disposed on the same circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical magnetic body.

Various embodiments relate to magnetically moveable displacement devices or robotic devices. Particular embodiments provide systems and corresponding methods for magnetically moving multiple movable robots relative to one or more working surfaces of respective one or more work bodies, and for moving robots between the one or more work bodies via transfer devices. Robots can carry one or more objects among different locations, manipulate carried objects, and/or interact with their surroundings for particular functionality including but not limited to assembly, packaging, inspection, 3D printing, test, laboratory automation, etc. A mechanical link may be mounted on planar motion units such as said robots.

A linear motor system includes: a stator including first to tenth coils; a mover including a permanent magnet; a switcher that switches one or more power supply target coils; and a control device that supplies power to the one or more power supply target coils by using a deviation integral value obtained by integrating a speed deviation that is a difference between an instructed speed of the mover and an actual speed of the mover. The control device includes: a compensator that calculates a post-division deviation integral value by dividing a post-summation deviation integral value, which is a value obtained by summing the deviation integral value used to supply power to each of the one or more power supply target coils immediately before the switching, by the total number of the one or more power supply target coils immediately after the switching; and a current control unit.

The present disclosure relates to an actuator. The actuator includes at least two iron cores, each iron core including a pole extending in a first direction parallel to a direction of gravity; a permanent magnet disposed between the at least two iron cores so as to generate a magnetic field along a shape of a combination of the at least two iron cores arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in a direction not parallel to the first direction; and a winding wound around the pole of each of the at least two iron cores.

A low height type actuator capable of performing a two-dimensional motion includes a magnet structure that includes a first array in which the first and second magnets are alternately arranged in x-direction and a second array in which the first and second magnets are alternately arranged in y-direction, and first and second wirings. The first wiring crosses the first magnets included in the first array in y-direction, and the second wiring crosses the first magnets included in the second array in x-direction. According to the present invention, by making current flow in the first and second wirings, a two-dimensional motion can be achieved. Further, since the first and second wirings are each a planar wiring that crosses the magnets, height reduction can be achieved.

Disclosed embodiment provide a sliding step assembly for a vehicle or a rail vehicle, comprising at least one footboard, which is guided on a guiding device for movement along a travel path between a retracted position and an extended position by driving by a drive. The drive contains at least one electrical linear motor operating without contact, wherein the driving force of the electrical linear motor is transferred to the footboard without mechanical connection.

A method and an apparatus are described for monitoring the wear of a long stator linear motor system comprising at least one motor train with stators and at least one transport vehicle that is driven electromagnetically thereby. Due to the fact that a force exerted electromagnetically and/or mechanically upon said motor train by the transport vehicle transverse to the latter's direction of transport or a differential force exerted in such manner by the transport vehicle upon two oppositely disposed motor trains is measured using sensors, changes in the forces between the motor train and the vehicle caused by dimensional tolerances and/or wear can be detected in order to prevent a malfunction of the track switch.

In a transport system that moves a moving portion, which moves in a transport direction along a fixed portion, while detecting a position of the moving portion by a scale and a sensor, a guide block is installed on a second surface of a first part of the moving portion, a guide rail is installed on a first surface of the fixed portion, the scale is installed at an end of the first part of the moving portion on an opposite side across the guide block, and a sensor that has a detecting unit at a position facing the scale is installed in the fixed portion.