The Piezo motor (known in English as the USM – Ultra Sonic Motor, SWM – Silent Wave Motor, HSM – Hyper Sonic Motor, SDM – Supersonic Direct ‑ drive motor, etc.), in which the working element is piezoelectric ceramics, is able to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy with very high efficiency, exceeding in some cases 90%. It was created in 1964 by the Ukrainian engineer Vyacheslav Lavrynenko (Kyiv). It is indispensable in astronomy, in space exploration, in charged particle accelerators and in robotics. Thanks to piezoelectric motors, the following developments were made: drives for antennas and surveillance cameras, electric razors, electric actuators of cutting tools, tape drive mechanisms, tower and street clocks, slow rotating drives for advertising platforms, electric drill machines, actuators for children’s toys and mobile prosthesis, and even ceiling fans. Also, the wave piezoelectric motors are used in lenses for SLR cameras Canon, Minolta, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma and others.

Maria Kuznetsova