MULTIPLE DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM POSITIONING DEVICE

摘要

A five degree-of-freedom positioning device includes a manipulator shaft for manipulating an object to a desired position and orientation. Two sets of stator permanent magnets are spaced along an axis of the manipulator and arranged in parallel planes transverse to the manipulator axis so as to provide therebetween magnetic fields substantially extending along the axis. Interposed between the sets of permanent magnets are axially spaced sets of electrically energizable coils also arranged in parallel transverse planes. The coils are energized to produce coil fields that interact with the magnetic fields of the permanent magnets for generating the Lorentz force which acts on the manipulator shaft to effect two translational movements of the manipulator shaft along two mutually orthogonal axes perpendicular to the manipulator shaft axis and three rotational movements about the three mutually orthogonal axes including the manipulator shaft axis. An electromagnet or electromagnetic actuator is additionally included to effect the translational movement of the manipulator shaft along its axis.