Patent ID: 8274197

Claim:
A driving device comprising: a shaft-like driving member; an electromechanical transducer having a plurality of expandable transducer portions arranged in a parallel orientation along an axial direction of the driving member, and configured to independently expand and contract in the axial direction of the driving member; the shaft-like driving member coupled to one end of the electromechanical transducer, a movable member which is frictionally engaged on the driving member, configured to be slidingly displaced along the driving member; and wherein each expandable transducer portion is configured to be independently controlled to expand and contract in the axial direction independent of the other expandable transducer portions, so that a difference in an amount of expansion or contraction between respective expandable transducer portions causes curving of the electromechanical transducer and movement of the driving member in a radial direction.