Cambridge Mechatronics Limited

Igor Gotlibovych

Andrew Benjamin David Brown

James Robert Howarth

Robin Eddington

Thomas M Gregory

Daniel John Burbridge

Nicholas Henry Reddall

Ian Edward Charles Rogers

Thomas Matthew Gregory

John Grayley

A miniature camera having an image sensor; an actuator which includes conductive components capable of conducting a pulse width modulation drive signal for driving the actuator; and a screening component located between the conductive components of the actuator and the image sensor, the screening component being electrically isolated from the actuator.

PWM screening in a camera

An SMA actuation assembly comprising SMA actuator wires connected in tension between a support structure and a movable element is controlled to drive movement of the movable element with respect to the support structure by supplying drive signals to the SMA actuator wire. Target signals representing desired positions of the movable element are set, varying within a predetermined spatial envelope. Measures of resistance of the SMA actuator wires are derived and the power of the drive signals is controlled under closed loop control on the basis of the target signals and feedback signals obtained from the measures of resistance. Electrical characteristics of the SMA actuator wires are monitored and used to detect when a motion limit of the movement is reached. In response thereto, the spatial envelope is adjusted to restrict the movement to be within the detected motion limit.

Centring control of an SMA actuation assembly

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

Igor Gotlibovych