Patent ID: 8810084

Claim:
An actuator, comprising: a first stator with a first plurality of poles defining a first linear axis and a second linear axis orthogonal to the first linear axis; a second stator with a second plurality of poles aligned with the first plurality of poles to form aligned poles including first linear axis aligned poles and second linear axis aligned poles; a permanent magnet attached to the first stator and the second stator; a plurality of moving armatures separated from the aligned poles by a corresponding plurality of air gaps; coils wrapped around the first linear axis aligned poles and the second linear axis aligned poles; a controller to selectively apply current to the coils to control a size of a first air gap between a first moving armature and a first end of the first linear axis aligned poles to form a first linear motion and to control a second size of a second air gap between a second moving armature and a first end of the second linear axis aligned poles to form a second linear motion; and a shaft to receive the first linear motion and the second linear motion such that output forces of the first linear motion and the second linear motion are summed and are translated to rotary motion of the shaft.