A method of producing a compensation signal to compensate for misalignment of a drive unit clamp element can include applying a clamp element drive signal to a drive unit clamp element to engage a mover element. A first displacement of the mover element can be determined. A first compensation signal to be applied to one or more drive unit shear elements can be determined based at least in part on the first displacement. The first compensation signal can be applied to the one or more drive unit shear elements and the clamp element drive signal can be applied to the drive unit clamp element. A second displacement can be determined in response to the application of the first compensation signal and the clamp element drive signal. The second displacement can then be compared to a preselected threshold. For a second displacement less than the preselected threshold, combining the first compensation signal with an initial shear element drive signal to produce a modified shear element drive signal, and for a second displacement greater than the preselected threshold, determining a second compensation signal to be applied to the one or more drive unit shear elements.

A vibration type actuator control apparatus, which uses a vibration from a vibrator to move a contact member, includes a control unit and a drive unit. The control unit includes first and second learned models, each having a neural network, and outputs control amounts for the drive unit to move the contact member. When a contact member moving target velocity is input, the first learned model outputs a first control amount as one of the control amounts. When a positional deviation is input, the second learned model outputs a second control amount as one of the control amounts. The drive unit moves the contact member using a value based on the first and second control amounts. The positional deviation is in association with a difference between a target position for moving the contact member and a detected position detected when the contact member is moved relative to the vibrator.

A method of producing a compensation signal to compensate for misalignment of a drive unit clamp element can include applying a clamp element drive signal to a drive unit clamp element to engage a mover element, determining a first displacement of the mover element, and determining a first compensation signal based at least in part on the first displacement. The method can further comprise applying the first compensation signal to the drive unit shear elements and the clamp element drive signal to the drive unit clamp element and determining a second displacement of the mover element. If the second displacement is less than a preselected threshold, the first compensation signal can be combined with an initial shear element drive signal to produce a modified shear element drive signal. If the second displacement is greater than the preselected threshold, a second compensation signal can be determined.

A control apparatus for a vibration type actuator that moves a vibrating body in which vibrations are excited by an electromechanical energy conversion element, and a contact body contacting the vibrating body relative to each other includes a generation unit configured to generate multi-phase driving signals having a phase difference applied to the electromechanical energy conversion element, and a detection unit configured to detect an actual position of a movable unit including the vibrating body or the contact body. The generation unit sets the phase difference based on a deviation of the actual position from a target position of the movable unit. The generation unit makes larger a change rate of the phase difference against the deviation from when the movable unit stops to when the movable unit starts moving as the target position changes than that after the movable unit starts moving.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrating section configured to flexurally vibrate in an in-plane direction, a connecting section connected to the vibrating section in the vibrating direction of the vibrating section, a supporting section configured to support the vibrating section via the connecting section, and a reinforcing section provided on an opposite side of the vibrating section in the supporting section in a direction parallel to a direction in which the vibrating section and the connecting section are arranged.

An apparatus that passes vibrational energy across a mechanical structure lacking a perforation. The disclosed apparatus and method provide the ability to transfer work (rotary or linear motion) across pressure or thermal barriers or in a sterile environment without generating contaminants; the presence of reflectors in the solid barrier to enhance the efficiency of the energy/power transmission, and the ability to produce a bi-directional driving mechanism using a plurality of different mode resonances, such as a fundamental frequency resonance and a higher frequency resonance. In some instances, a plane within the mechanical structure lacking a perforation is a nodal plane of the vibrational energy field.

A control apparatus for a vibration type actuator that moves a vibrating body in which vibrations are excited by an electromechanical energy conversion element, and a contact body contacting the vibrating body relative to each other includes a generation unit configured to generate multi-phase driving signals having a phase difference applied to the electromechanical energy conversion element, and a detection unit configured to detect an actual position of a movable unit including the vibrating body or the contact body. The generation unit sets the phase difference based on a deviation of the actual position from a target position of the movable unit. The generation unit makes larger a change rate of the phase difference against the deviation from when the movable unit stops to when the movable unit starts moving as the target position changes than that after the movable unit starts moving.

A vibration actuator suppressed in generating abnormal noise while realizing size reduction. The vibration actuator includes a vibration element having a piezoelectric element and an elastic member, and a contact body in contact with the vibration element. The contact body has a direction in which the vibration element and the contact body move relative to each other as a longitudinal direction and a square bar shape substantially uniform in width and thickness in the longitudinal direction, and includes a first section and a second section which are formed with respective R surfaces different in curvature radius on an edge extending in the longitudinal direction, in an area where the contact body performs frictional sliding on the vibration element.

A rotary ultrasonic motor includes an ultrasonic actuator, a driven element, an inner casing member and an outer casing member. A piezoelectric or electrostrictive or magnetostrictive material is arranged between an excitation electrode and at least one general electrode. The ultrasonic actuator is between the inner and outer casing members of a casing, and is directly or indirectly in contact with the element to be driven, so that periodic deformations generated in the ultrasonic actuator by electrical excitation are transferable to the drive element. The ultrasonic actuator is mounted by a retaining device arranged on the casing with at least one retaining section which engages in a recess associated with a respective retaining section.

A nano-positioning system for fine and coarse nano-positioning including at least one actuator, wherein the at least one actuator includes a high Curie temperature material and wherein the nano-positioning system is configured to apply a voltage to the at least one actuator to generate fine and/or coarse motion by the at least one actuator. The nano-positioning system being a stand-alone system, a scanning probe microscope, or an attachment to an existing microscope configured to perform a method of creepless nano-positioning that includes positioning a probe relative to a first area of a substrate using coarse stepping and interacting with the first area of the substrate using fine motion after less than 60 seconds of the positioning the probe. The movement of the scanning probe microscope is actuated by a high Curie temperature piezoelectric material that limits and/or eliminates creep, hysteresis and aging.