Olympus Corporation

Tetsuya Morishima

You Kondoh

Masaya Takahashi

Hiromasa Fujita

Ryo Tojo

Toru Kuboi

An endoscope system includes an insertion section, a first active bending section, a second active bending section, a position-information acquiring section, a first control section, a second control section, and a third control section. The first control section controls, based on a detection result of the position-information acquiring section, a first driving section of the first active bending section such that a first end portion of a first tubular section of the first active bending section moves away from a center point. The first control section controls a second driving section of the second active bending section such that a second end portion of a second tubular section of the second active bending section approaches the center point. The third control section controls the first driving section such that force in a direction of bending the first tubular section in a first bending operation acts on the first end portion.

Endoscope system and propulsion method for insertion section

A variable stiffness actuator includes a shape-memory member, and a heater configured to receive power to heat the shape-memory member so as to cause the shape-memory member to change from a first phase as a low stiffness state to a second phase as a high stiffness state showing a higher stiffness than the low stiffness state. The actuator also includes a first conductive wire having one end connected to the heater and constituting a part of a power supply line for the heater, and a second conductive wire having one end connected to the other end of the first conductive wire, thicker than the first conductive wire, and having an electrical resistance per unit length lower than that of the first conductive wire.

Variable stiffness actuator, endoscope, and power supply method

A variable-stiffness actuator system includes a shape-memory member in which a stiffness increases by being heated and decreases by radiating heat, a heating member configured to generate heat, a channel arranged along the longitudinal axis of the shape-memory member, a transfer section configured to selectively supply and stop first and second heat transmission fluids into the channel, and a controller configured to control the transfer section. The controller causes the transfer section to supply the first heat transmission fluid and then supply the second heat transmission fluid into the channel, and further to stop the supply of the second heat transmission fluid so that retention of the first and second heat transmission fluids simultaneously occurs in the channel.

Variable-stiffness actuator system

A shape measuring apparatus includes a cylindrical flexible body and a bend detection sensor. The sensor includes an optical fiber extending along the flexible body, a detection target to vary characteristics of detection light guided through the optical fiber in accordance with a curvature of the optical fiber, and a light detection unit to detect the detection light. The shape measuring apparatus also includes a shape calculating device to calculate a bend shape of the flexible body, based on the variation of the characteristics of the detection light, a cylindrical sheathing member sheathing a part of the optical fiber in the flexible body, and a hard distal member provided at a distal end of the flexible body and holding a distal end of the sheathing member.

Shape measuring cylindrical flexible body apparatus

An insertion system includes an insertion section and a rigidity variable portion provided in the insertion section. The rigidity variable portion includes a superelastic alloy member whose rigidity starts changing from a high-rigidity state to a low-rigidity state at a temperature, which varies with a degree of bending of the superelastic alloy member, and a heating member capable of switching between presence and absence of heating of the superelastic alloy member. The insertion system also includes a bending state detection sensor that detects a bending state of the rigidity variable portion, and a rigidity variable controller that controls switching between presence and absence of heating of the superelastic alloy member by the heating member to control the temperature of the superelastic alloy member.

Insertion system

A variable stiffness actuator includes a shape-memory member capable of transitioning in phase between a first phase and a second phase. The shape-memory member takes a low-stiffness state when in the first phase, and takes a high-stiffness state. The variable stiffness actuator also includes an inducing member configured to cause the shape-memory member to transition in phase between the first phase and the second phase and a connecting member elastically connecting the shape-memory member and inducing member. All of the shape-memory member, the inducing member, and the connecting member are conductive, and the shape-memory member, the inducing member, and the connecting member are electrically connected to each other.

Variable stiffness actuator

A variable-stiffness actuator, installed in a flexible member and capable of providing different stiffnesses for the flexible member, includes a shape-memory member that can transit in phase between first and second phases and an inducing member that causes phase transition between the first and second phases into the shape-memory member. The shape-memory member takes, in the first stare, a flexible state in which it is easily deformable by an external force, so as to provide lower stiffness for the flexible member, and, in the second stare, a rigid state in which it tends to take a memorized shape against an external force, so as to provide higher stiffness for the flexible member. The actuator further includes a stiffness calculator that calculates the stiffness of the actuator.

Variable-stiffness actuator

The task of the present invention is to provide an inertial drive actuator having a small-size arrangement, without using a vibration substrate. The inertial drive actuator includes a coil, a movable body which is disposed in a direction in which, a magnetic flux of the coil is generated, and which is formed of a magnetic material having a surface facing the coil, and a displacement generator (piezoelectric element) which displaces the coil in a direction different from the direction in which the magnetic flux is generated. Moreover, the movable body is displaced relatively with respect to the displacement generator (piezoelectric element), along a direction of displacement of the displacement generator (piezoelectric element).

Inertial drive actuator

A calibration method for an inertial drive actuator of detecting a position of a moving body based on an electrostatic capacitance is proposed. The calibration method includes driving the moving body; outputting a first signal for detecting the electrostatic capacitance of opposing parts of a moving body side electrode provided on the moving body and a detecting electrode provided opposing the moving body side electrode; receiving a second signal obtained after the first signal output at the outputting has passed through the moving body side electrode and the detecting electrode; and calculating an optimum first signal based on the second signal received at the receiving.

Calibration method for inertial drive actuator, and inertial drive actuator device

A method includes an electrostatic capacitance detecting step of detecting electrostatic capacitances of opposing parts of a moving body side electrode and an oscillating plate electrode; an electrostatic capacitance storing step of storing the electrostatic capacitances at the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position detected at the electrostatic capacitance detecting step; a ratio calculating step of calculating a ratio of the electrostatic capacitances at the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position stored at the electrostatic capacitance storing step to a movement limit distance that is a distance between the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position; and an absolute position calculating step of calculating an absolute position of the moving body between the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position from the ratio.

Calibration method for inertial drive actuator, inertial drive actuator device, and method of calculating position of moving body

An inertial drive actuator includes a fixed member, a displacement generating mechanism of which, one end is adjacent to the fixed member, and a displacement is generated at the other end thereof, a driving mechanism which applies a voltage for displacing the displacement generating mechanism, a vibration substrate which is connected to the other end of the displacement generating mechanism, and which is displaceable in a direction of displacement, a mobile object which is disposed to be facing a vibration substrate electrode provided to the vibration substrate, and which moves with respect to the vibration substrate by an inertia, and a friction controlling mechanism which changes a frictional force between the mobile object and the vibration substrate. A regulating member which regulates the movement of the mobile object is provided to at least one of the fixed member and the vibration substrate such that the mobile object moves in a direction of displacement of the vibration substrate or in a direction other than the direction of displacement.

Inertial drive actuator configured to provide arbitrary motion in an X-Y plane

A calibration method for inertial drive actuator of driving a target moving body among a plurality of moving bodies to move by inertia between a first movement limit position and a second movement limit position in relation to an oscillating plate that is moved to reciprocate by a moving member, and detecting positions of the moving bodies based on electrostatic capacitances includes detecting electrostatic capacitances of opposing parts of a moving body side electrode provided in a target moving body and an oscillating plate electrode provided in the oscillating plate is detected at the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position, respectively; and calculating a ratio of a difference between the electrostatic capacitances at the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position to a movement limit distance that is a distance between the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position. At least one of the first movement limit position and the second movement limit position is a position where the target moving body abuts against a non-target moving body.

There is provided an inertial drive actuator in which, a small-sizing is easy, including a first displacement generating mechanism of which, one end is adjacent to a fixed member, and a first displacement is generated in the other end thereof, a second displacement generating mechanism of which, one end is adjacent to the fixed member, and which generates a second displacement in the other end thereof, a driving mechanism which applies a voltage for displacing the first displacement generating mechanism and the second displacement generating mechanism, a vibration substrate which is connected to the other end of the first displacement generating mechanism and the other end of the second displacement generating mechanism, and which is displaceable in a plane in which, there exist a direction of the first displacement and a direction of the second displacement, a mobile object which is disposed to be facing the vibration substrate, and which moves with respect to the vibration substrate by an inertia with respect to a displacement of the vibration substrate, and a friction controlling mechanism which changes a frictional force between the mobile object and the vibration substrate.

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Hachioji, Japan

Tetsuya Morishima