Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Hitoshi Yoshiyuki

Tatsumaro Yamashita

Eiki Matsuo

Masamichi Hayashi

An actuator includes a holder having a movement hole, a lens barrel which moves within the movement hole, and driving means for driving the lens barrel. Each of the driving means is provided with driving members composed of an artificial muscle. The lens barrel can be suitably moved within the movement hole by making the driving members perform a predetermined operation.

Actuator, optical apparatus using actuator, and method of manufacturing actuator

When a voltage is applied between outside electrodes and a common electrode that constitute driving parts of a driving unit provided between a holder holding a lens and a lens barrel, as shown in FIG., respective dielectric elastomers provided in the driving parts are slightly deformed in a direction that is crushed in an X&#x2013;Xdirection. Thus, the entire lens can be slightly moved in the direction of an arrow (X-direction). This enables an optical axis O'&#x2014;O&#x2032; of the lens to coincide with or get closer to a reference optical axis.

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Miyagi-ken, Japan

Hitoshi Yoshiyuki