A driving mechanism is provided, including a base, a movable module, and a driving assembly. The movable module has a movable member and a connecting member connected to the movable member. The driving assembly is connected to the base and the connecting member. The driving assembly has a driving element that generates a driving force to the connecting member and the movable member, so that the movable module moves relative to the base.

An actuator includes a piezoelectric element, a vibration plate, and a support. The vibration plate has the piezoelectric element joined thereto and vibrates in accordance with displacement of the piezoelectric element. The support supports the vibration plate. A holder is disposed on the vibration plate. The holder is configured to join the vibration plate to an object of vibration. The vibration plate and the support are integrally molded.

Disclosed herein are energy harvesting devices and methods of making and use thereof. The energy harvesting devices can efficiently harvest energy for motions at a frequency of 5 Hz or less.

Disclosed herein is a piezoelectric vibration module capable of improving adhesion between a piezoelectric element and an external electrode disposed on the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric vibration module, including: a piezoelectric element printing patterns of a first internal electrode and a second internal electrode therein and having a first external electrode electrically connected to the first internal electrode and a second external electrode electrically connected to the second internal electrode on an external surface thereof, wherein the first external electrode and the second external electrode are made of silver (Ag) and are formed on the external surface of the piezoelectric element.

An actuator device (21) comprises an electroactive polymer (EAP) and a driver (20) for generating a electrical drive signals which give opposite polarity voltages and thus electrical field within the electroactive polymer at different times. In this way, charge build-up can be reduced or avoided, while prolonged activation times are still possible. This improves the performance and/or lifetime of the device.

A driving stage of a servo valve, including a hydraulic ejector and a hydraulic receiver able to be moved relative to each other, one of the two hydraulic units being integral with a mobile unit, movable relative to a body of the servo valve through actuation means, characterized in that the actuation means comprise two piezoelectric actuators connected in series. Control device comprising a servo valve comprising such a driving stage.

A piezoelectric resonator includes a piezoelectric thin film including a functional conductor, a fixing layer provided on a principal surface of the piezoelectric thin film to define a void that overlaps a functional portion region, and a support substrate on a principal surface of the fixing layer. A sacrificial layer is provided on a principal surface of a piezoelectric substrate and the fixing layer is provided on the principal surface of the piezoelectric substrate to cover the sacrificial layer. The support substrate is attached to a surface of the fixing layer and the piezoelectric thin film is peeled from the piezoelectric substrate. The functional conductor is provided on the piezoelectric thin film, a through hole is provided in the piezoelectric thin film to straddle a boundary between the fixing layer and the sacrificial layer, and the sacrificial layer is removed by wet etching using the through hole to form the void.

An actuator and tactile sensation providing apparatus include an actuator including a piezoelectric element, a vibration plate, and a support. The vibration plate has the piezoelectric element joined thereto and vibrates in accordance with displacement of the piezoelectric element. The support supports the vibration plate and is configured so that an end of the vibration plate is displaced more in a longitudinal direction than in a normal direction of the vibration plate in accordance with displacement of the piezoelectric element. The angle between the vibration plate and the support is acute. The tactile sensation providing apparatus can further include an object of vibration configured to provide a tactile sensation to a user by vibration of the vibration plate being transmitted to the object of vibration.

An actuator includes a piezoelectric element, a vibration plate, a support, a holder, and first and second fixing portions. The vibration plate has the piezoelectric element joined thereto and bends and vibrates in accordance with expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element. The support supports the vibration plate on a base to allow bending and vibration of the vibration plate. The holder holds an object of vibration to the vibration plate. The first fixing portion is coupled to the support and fixes the support to the base. The second fixing portion is coupled to the holder and fixes the object of vibration to the holder. The first and second fixing portions are each displaceable in a direction intersecting the direction of the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element.

A three-degrees-of-freedom adjustment device driven by piezoelectric ceramics includes a Z-direction deflection mechanism at a bottom, an X-direction deflection mechanism mounted at the bottom, a Y-direction deflection mechanism mounted on the X-direction deflection mechanism, and a stage mounted on a deflect block of a deflection mechanism angle output; wherein the Z-direction deflection mechanism is located at the bottom, including a mounting substrate and two pre-compressed piezoelectric stacks; the piezoelectric stacks in the Z-direction deflection mechanism deflect in a Z direction under equal voltages; the X-direction deflection mechanism is similar to the Y-direction deflection mechanism in principle, including a deflection mechanism frame and a pair of piezoelectric stacks, wherein the X-direction deflection mechanism and the Y-direction deflection mechanism are vertically mounted, and are perpendicular to the Z-direction deflection mechanism plane as a whole.