A fixed frame (2) is fixed to an external member. An ultrasonic oscillator (3) is disposed inside the fixed frame (2) and includes a flexible first substrate and a first piezoelectric element deposited on the first substrate in the form of a thin film. The ultrasonic oscillator (3) is warped in response to expansion or contraction of the first piezoelectric element and generates ultrasonic waves. Actuator units (4) include a flexible second substrate coupling the first substrate to the fixed frame (2) and a second piezoelectric element deposited on the second substrate in the form of a thin film. The actuator units (4) are warped in response to expansion or contraction of the second piezoelectric element and cause the ultrasonic oscillator (3) to swing relative to the fixed frame (2). The fixed frame (2), the first substrate, and the second substrate are composed of the same substrate.

A lever is used to rotate a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror. The lever can be used to provide more torque from a vertical comb drive. The MEMS mirror can be part of an array of micro mirrors used for beam steering a laser in a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system for an autonomous vehicle.

The present disclosure provides an improved method of parking a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror in an array of MEMS mirrors, wherein the method protects against single high voltage channel failures in a driver. Two separate voltages are applied to each MEMS mirror to move and park the mirror out of a camera sensor field of view in a servo system. For example, a first voltage may be applied in a positive X direction and a second voltage may be applied in a positive Y direction. This will then move the mirror in a diagonal direction. In the event one of the high voltage channels fail, the mirror will still be parked and outside of the camera sensor field of view. Using two voltages, every mirror will have 4 possible parking positions. In the event of a high voltage channel failure, the servo system can park a mirror affected by the failure in an opposite corner. Moreover, if 2-axis parking is not feasible, such as if both Y axes fail, the mirror can use single-voltage parking.

A fast steering optical mirror for laser beam deflection, moved by at least one rotational axis, including: a plate containing a plurality of carbon fiber layers laid up in a resin, wherein the plate includes a front face, at least a portion of the front face being polished and coated for laser light reflection; and wherein a surface normal of the front face is aligned orthogonal to the at least one rotational axis. A method of manufacturing fast steering optical mirror including: forming a plate having a front face and a back face by laying up a plurality of carbon fiber layers in a resin; aligning the plate so that a surface normal of the plate is orthogonal to at least one rotational axis of the mirror; and polishing and coating at least a portion of the front face for light reflection.

A vertical comb drive assembly may include a rotor assembly. The rotor assembly may include a comb anchor to attach the rotor assembly to a base, a comb rotor attached to the comb anchor, and a movable element attached to the comb rotor. The vertical comb drive assembly may include a stator assembly. The stator assembly may include a plate anchor to attach the stator assembly to the base, a plate, wherein the plate forms a comb stator, and a plate hinge to connect the plate to the plate anchor. The plate hinge and the plate may be configured for moving the plate from a first position where the comb rotor and the comb stator are both in a first plane to a second position where the comb rotor is in the first plane and the comb stator is in a second plane.

In a method of manufacturing a highly stretchable three-dimensional (3D) percolated conductive nano-network structure, a 3D nano-structured porous elastomer including patterns distributed in a periodic network is formed. A surface of the 3D nano-structured porous elastomer is changed to a hydrophilic state. A polymeric material is conformally adhered on the surface of the 3D nano-structured porous elastomer. The surface of the 3D nano-structured porous elastomer is wet by infiltrating a conductive solution in which a conductive material is dispersed. A 3D percolated conductive nano-network coupled with the 3D nano-structured porous elastomer is formed by evaporating a solvent of the conductive solution and removing the polymeric material.

Embodiments of an optical data communication apparatus using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-mirror arrays is described herein. The apparatus may include a router configured to operate as a relay to exchange optical data signals between optical switches of the apparatus. The optical switches may be configured to switch between reflection directions to reflect the optical signals over different optical connections between the optical switches and different receiving ports of the router. The reflection directions may be switched in accordance with predetermined mappings between the receiving ports of the router and destinations of the optical signals. The router includes a MEMS micro-mirror array configured to reflect received optical signals to the destinations. A processing element of the optical data switching circuitry may generate a plurality of optical data signals and may send the optical data signals to an optical switch of the optical data switching circuitry.

An apparatus for deflecting with respect to one or more axes a device mounted on the apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a mounting support; a device chassis defining a plane and a clockwise direction in the plane, wherein the device chassis comprises two or more arm bridges, wherein a first arm bridge is extending from a first side of the device chassis and a second arm bridge is extending from a second and opposite side of the device chassis. One or more arm bridges comprising a first arm extending continuously in a clockwise direction to a first standoff and a second arm extending continuously in an anti-clockwise direction to a second standoff. The apparatus comprising one or more standoff supports comprised between each standoff and the mounting support.

A vertically-shifting electrostatic actuator and an optical scanner employing the electrostatic actuator are disclosed. The optical scanner includes a mirror configured to reflect an incident light and an electrostatic actuator configured to oscillate the mirror. The electrostatic actuator includes a frame having an installation space in a central portion and a drive electrode, a stationary electrode, a shifter, and a force application part installed in the installation space. Drive electrode fingers in the drive electrode and stationary electrode fingers in the stationary electrode are alternately disposed. The shifter may be connected either between the frame and the drive electrode or between the frame and the stationary electrode and vertically shifts either the drive electrode or the stationary electrode connected to the shifter when a vertical force is applied through the force application part.

The present invention provides a linear actuator. The linear actuator includes: a substrate having a cavity; a first fixed electrode structure fixed on the substrate; an elastic linkage; and a movable electrode structure connected to the substrate through the elastic linkage, wherein: the cavity has a first area; at least one of the first fixed electrode structure and the movable electrode structure has a second projection area on the substrate; and the first area and the second projection area overlap. The linear actuator allows the making of an out-of-plane linear motion motor with a large motion stroke, the robustness of impact, the easy removal of residual process contaminants, an improvement of the efficiency of electrical-to-mechanical energy conversion and the off-axis motion decoupling of movable comb structure.