A control method for a piezoelectric drive device includes a first step of executing first control to decrease a frequency of a drive voltage applied to a piezoelectric vibrator from a predetermined first frequency while acquiring a pickup voltage representing vibration amplitude of the piezoelectric vibrator, and a second step of executing second control to increase the frequency of the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric vibrator to a second frequency as a frequency of the drive voltage applied before a second time when the pickup voltage is higher from a first time to the second time and the pickup voltage is lower from the second time to a third time.

The invention relates to a rotation actuating device (1), comprising a base (2), a rotor (3) and at least two groups (40, 42) of drive units, each group comprising at least two drive units (4), wherein the drive units (4) are arranged peripherally on the base (2) and between the base and the rotor (3), wherein each drive unit (4) comprises two deflectable actors (5), which are arranged in a V-shape with respect to each other, and a friction element (6), which is connected to both actors, and wherein the rotor (3) and the friction elements (6) are pressed in a direction toward each other by means of a spring device (30) arranged between the drive units (4), such that, when the actors (5) are not deflected, all the friction elements (6) are in contact with the rotor (3) and jointly span a contact plane (K), wherein a continuous movement of the rotor (3) is realized by means of phase-offset control of the actors (5) of different groups (40, 42) of drive units (4). The invention further relates to a method for operating the rotation actuating device

Provided is a vibration wave motor including: a vibrator; a pressurizing member configured to pressurize the vibrator against a friction member; a holding member configured to hold the vibrator; and a buffering member provided between the vibrator and the holding member. The vibrator and the friction member are moved relatively to each other in a relative movement direction by vibration of the vibrator, and the holding member holds the vibrator in such a manner that an extending part extending in a pressurizing direction of the pressurizing member sandwiches the vibrator and the buffering member.

In a MEMS device in which a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer are stacked in this order from a first surface side of a substrate, a first wiring layer is stacked on a second surface on a side opposite to a first surface of the substrate and the first electrode layer and the first wiring layer are connected to each other via a through wiring passing through the substrate.

A piezoelectric device includes a body provided with a first region and a second region lined along a first direction. The first region deformably extends/contracts along the first direction. The second region deformably curves in such a manner that one or the other side in a second direction intersecting the first direction curves outward.

An ultrasonic motor includes a vibration section having a piezoelectric element configured to generate vibration by receiving a drive voltage, a driven section, a convex section connected to the vibration section and configured to transmit vibration of the vibration section to the driven section, a drive circuit configured to generate the drive voltage, an encoder configured to detect a movement amount of the driven section, a storage section configured to store a specified voltage value, and a determination section configured to receive position information from the encoder when the driven section starts to move and a voltage value at the time of start up from the drive circuit and to determine that least one of the convex section or the driven section is worn out when the voltage value at the time of start up is larger than the specified voltage value.

A piezoelectric driving device includes a substrate, a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed on the substrate, a first groove section provided between the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a first wire provided in at least a part of a side surface and a bottom section of the first groove section.

A lead screw actuator device includes a base configured to support a plurality of actuators. A first bridge is supported by one of the plurality of actuators and a second bridge is supported by another one of the plurality of actuators. A nut is supported by the first bridge and the second bridge and is rotatably coupled to a screw with a sliding contact friction between the screw and the nut. The plurality of actuators generate small movements of the first bridge, the second bridge, and the nut that produce relative rotation between the nut and the screw. A method of making a lead screw actuator device is also disclosed.

A method for operating an electromechanical element, comprising the following steps:

by controlling a first control section (A1) which is deformable by an electrical voltage by a first voltage signal (S10) generation of adjusting movements of a friction element which is arranged on the electromechanical element and which is provided for frictional contact with an element (90) to be driven,

controlling of a second control section (A2) which is deformable by an electrical voltage by a second voltage signal (S20), which comprises a signal section (S21), the frequency of which compared to the first voltage signal (S10) is by a factor,

an actor, a drive device with an actor and a motor with a drive device and an element to be driven.

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.