A control apparatus of a vibration actuator performs control of the vibration actuator using a control amount calculated using both of a first deviation which is a difference between a command value and a relative position, and a gain changed in accordance with a second deviation which is a difference between a target position and the relative position, so as to reduce the gain in accordance with reduction of the second deviation.

An actuator device manufacturing method includes: a preparation step of preparing an actuator device including a support portion, a movable portion, a connection portion, and a metal member disposed such that a stress acts on the metal member when the movable portion oscillates; an oscillation step of oscillating the movable portion for a predetermined time; an acquisition step of acquiring a parameter related to a viscous resistance in a vibration of the movable portion; and a determination step of determining that the actuator device is qualified, when a difference between the parameter acquired in the acquisition step and a reference value corresponding to the parameter at a start of the oscillation step is a predetermined value or more in a direction in which the viscous resistance decreases, and determining that the actuator device is disqualified, when the difference is less than the predetermined value.

A driving device is provided for a vibration type actuator including a vibrating body including an elastic body and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and a contact body that comes into contact with the elastic body, the vibrating body and the contact body relatively moving by a vibration generated in the vibrating body. The vibration includes a first vibration component generated in the vibrating body by a voltage applied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and a second vibration component generated in the vibrating body by contact between the contact body and the elastic body. The driving device detects a signal corresponding to the second vibration component, cancels the second vibration component by superimposing a superimposition voltage component on the voltage, and detects a force acting between the vibrating body and the contact body based on the superimposition voltage component.

A piezoelectric device includes a piezoelectric element, a mounting plate, an electronic element including a temperature sensor therein, a base on which the piezoelectric element is mounted with the mounting plate therebetween and on which the electronic element is mounted, and a lid joined to the base and hermetically sealing at least the piezoelectric element and the mounting plate.

A soft haptic device and a local control method are disclosed. The soft haptic device includes a soft actuator. The soft actuator includes an electroactive polymer film, a patterned electrode, and a dielectric liquid injected between the electroactive polymer film and the patterned electrode. The soft actuator generates a reconfigurable shape such that a form of an output shape and a number of outputtable shapes are changed depending on the number of electrodes constituting the patterned electrode, a shape of the electrodes, and an arrangement of the electrodes.

A vibration-type drive apparatus provided to solve the task includes a control unit that outputs a command signal, a drive unit that outputs a drive signal in accordance with the command signal, a vibrator unit in which two or more vibrators that vibrate in accordance with the drive signal are connected, a drive signal analyzing unit that analyzes the drive signal and outputs an analysis result, and a determining unit that determines whether there is a break in wiring lines respectively coupled to the vibrators in accordance with the analysis result.