Tiny motor breakthrough innovation

Senior VP and CTO Kenji Uchino accepted the 2007 Product Implementation Award of the Society of Photo Optical Engineers on behalf of ICAT and Micromechatronics Inc.

The award was presented jointly to ICAT and MMech for the Metal Tube Type Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Motor. The Product Implementation Award is given for breakthrough innovations in technologies.

The Metal Tube Ultrasonic Motor is 10 times smaller than other electromagnetic motors with comparable power and torque but with 10 times higher efficiency. This Metal Tube Motor is designed for use in cell phone camera zoom/focus mechanisms.

Kenji is professor of electrical engineering, professor of materials and director of Penn State's International Center for Actuators and Transducers (ICAT).