Optical lens displacement systems

1. A lens displacement system comprising:

a lens unit comprising at least one lens positioned along a focal axis;

two electroactive polymer actuator mechanisms positioned at opposing ends of the lens unit wherein activation of the actuators translates the lens unit relative to the actuators;

further comprising at least one guide rail extending between the actuator mechanisms, the lens unit slideably coupled to the at least one guide rail, wherein activation of the actuator mechanisms provides translation of the lens unit along the focal axis in an incremental fashion, wherein at least one of the actuator mechanisms comprises at least two separately activatable portions for moving the at least one guide rail along the focal axis and laterally of the focal axis; and

wherein the in-plane actuation angularly displaces the at least one guide rail.

2. The lens displacement system of claim 1 , wherein each separately activatable portion comprises an electroactive film layer, wherein the layers are stacked.

3. The lens displacement system of claim 2 , wherein at least one film layer provides thickness mode actuation when activated and at least one other film layer provides in-plane actuation when activated.

4. The lens displacement system of claim 1 , wherein the lens unit comprises a plurality of lens stages comprising a lens positioned within a platform, wherein at least one lens stage is translatable along the focal axis independently of the other lens stages.

5. The lens displacement system of claim 4 , further comprising a pushrod extending between and operatively coupled to the two actuator mechanisms, the pushrod passing through an aperture within and releasably engageable with each lens platform.

6. The lens displacement system of claim 5 , further comprising a clutch mechanism associated with each lens platform for cooperative engagement with the pushrod.

7. The lens displacement system of claim 1 , wherein each actuator mechanism comprises two separately activatable portions for moving the lens unit along the focal axis and laterally of the focal axis.

8. The lens displacement system of claim 7 , wherein one activatable portion comprises a single-phase linear actuator and the other activatable portion comprises a two-phase planar actuator stacked in series with each other.

9. The lens displacement system of claim 8 , wherein the actuators are independently and selectively controllable to translate the pushrod axially and laterally to provide a desired actuation sequence.

10. The lens displacement system of claim 1 , wherein the lens unit comprises a focusing lens portion and an afocal lens portion wherein the first actuator translates the focusing lens portion along the focal axis relative to the afocal lens portion and the second actuator translates the afocal lens portion along the focal axis, wherein the actuators are selectively and independently activatable.

11. The lens displacement system of claim 10 , wherein the two lens portions are biased away from each other by spring.

12. A lens displacement system comprising:

a lens unit comprising at least one lens positioned along a focal axis, where the lens unit comprises a plurality of lens stages comprising a lens positioned within a platform wherein at least one lens stage is translatable along the focal axis independently of the other lens stages;

two electroactive polymer actuator mechanisms positioned at opposing ends of the lens unit wherein activation of the actuators translates the lens unit relative to the actuators: and

at least one guide rail extending between the actuator mechanisms, the lens unit slideably coupled to the at least one guide rail, wherein activation of the actuator mechanisms provides translation of the lens unit along the focal axis in an incremental fashion; and

a pushrod extending between and operatively coupled to the two actuator mechanisms, the pushrod passing through an aperture within and releasably engageable with each lens platform and a clutch mechanism associated with each lens platform for cooperative engagement with the pushrod.

13. The lens displacement system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the actuator mechanisms comprises at least two separately activatable portions for moving the at least one guide rail along the focal axis and latently of the focal axis.

14. The lens displacement system of claim 13 , wherein each separately activatable portion comprises an electroactive film layer, wherein the layers are stacked.

15. The lens displacement system of claim 14 , wherein at least one film layer provides thickness mode actuation when activated and at least one other film layer provides in-plane actuation when activated.

16. The lens displacement system of claim 12 , wherein each actuator mechanism comprises two separately activatable portions for moving the lens unit along the focal axis and laterally of the focal axis.

17. The lens displacement system of claim 16 , wherein one activatable portion comprises a single-phase linear actuator and the other activatable portion comprises a two-phase planar actuator stacked in series with each other

18. The lens displacement system of claim 17 , wherein the actuators are independently and selectively controllable to translate the pushrod axially and laterally to provide a desired actuation sequence.

19. The lens displacement system of claim 12 , wherein the lens unit comprises a focusing lens portion and an afocal lens portion wherein the first actuator translates the focusing lens portion along the focal axis relative to the afocal lens portion and the second actuator translates the afocal lens portion along the focal axis, wherein the actuators are selectively and independently activatable.

20. The lens displacement system of claim 19 , wherein the two lens portions are biased away from each other by spring.

21. A lens displacement system comprising:

a lens unit comprising at least one lens positioned along a focal axis; and

two electroactive polymer actuator mechanisms positioned at opposing ends of the lens unit wherein activation of the actuators translates the lens unit relative to the actuators, wherein each actuator mechanism comprises two separately activatable portions for moving the lens unit along the focal axis and laterally of the focal axis.

22. The lens displacement system of claim 21 , further comprising at least one guide rail extending between the actuator mechanisms, the lens unit slideably coupled to the at least one guide rail, wherein activation of the actuator mechanisms provides translation of the lens unit along the focal axis in an incremental fashion.

23. The lens displacement system of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the actuator mechanisms comprises at least two separately activatable portions for moving the at least one guide rail along the focal axis and laterally of the focal axis.

24. The lens displacement system of claim 23 , wherein each separately activatable portion comprises an electroactive film layer, wherein the layers are stacked.

25. The lens displacement system of claim 24 , wherein at least one film layer provides thickness mode actuation when activated and at least one other film layer provides in-plane actuation when activated.

26. The lens displacement system of claim 22 , wherein the lens unit comprises a plurality of lens stages comprising a lens positioned within a platform, wherein at least one lens stage is translatable along the focal axis independently of the other lens stages.

27. The lens displacement system of claim 26 , further comprising a pushrod extending between and operatively coupled to the two actuator mechanisms, the pushrod passing through an aperture within and releasably engageable with each lens platform.

28. The lens displacement system of claim 21 , wherein one activatable portion comprises a single-phase linear actuator and the other activatable portion comprises a two-phase planar actuator stacked in series with each other.

29. The lens displacement system of claim 28 , wherein the actuators are independently and selectively controllable to translate the pushrod axially and laterally to provide a desired actuation sequence.

30. The lens displacement system of claim 21 , wherein the lens unit comprises a focusing lens portion and an afocal lens portion wherein the first actuator translates the focusing lens portion along the focal axis relative to the afocal lens portion and the second actuator translates the afocal lens portion along the focal axis, wherein the actuators are selectively and independently activatable.

31. The lens displacement system of claim 30 , wherein the two lens portions are biased away from each other by spring.

32. A lens displacement system comprising:

a lens unit comprising at least one lens positioned along a focal axis;

a first and a second electroactive polymer actuator mechanisms positioned at opposing ends of the lens unit wherein activation of the actuators translates the lens unit relative to the actuators; and

wherein the lens unit comprises a focusing lens portion and an afocal lens portion wherein the first actuator translates the focusing lens portion along the focal axis relative to the afocal lens portion and the second actuator translates the afocal lens portion along the focal axis, wherein the actuators are selectively and independently activatable.

33. The lens displacement system of claim 32 , further comprising at least one guide rail extending between the actuator mechanisms, the lens unit slideably coupled to the at least one guide rail, wherein activation of the actuator mechanisms provides translation of the lens unit along the focal axis in an incremental fashion.

34. The lens displacement system of claim 33 , wherein at least one of the actuator mechanisms comprises at least two separately activatable portions for moving the at least one guide rail along the focal axis and laterally of the focal axis.

35. The lens displacement system of claim 34 , wherein each separately activatable portion comprises an electroactive film layer, wherein the layers are stacked.

36. The lens displacement system of claim 35 , wherein at least one film layer provides thickness mode actuation when activated and at least one other film layer provides in-plane actuation when activated.

37. The lens displacement system of claim 34 , wherein the in-plane actuation angularly displaces the at least one guide rail.

38. The lens displacement system of claim 33 , wherein the lens unit comprises a plurality of lens stages comprising a lens positioned within a platform, wherein at least one lens stage is translatable along the focal axis independently of the other lens stages.

39. The lens displacement system of claim 38 , further comprising a pushrod extending between and operatively coupled to the two actuator mechanisms, the pushrod passing through an aperture within and releasably engageable with each lens platform.

40. The lens displacement system of claim 39 , further comprising a clutch mechanism associated with each lens platform for cooperative engagement with the pushrod.

41. The lens displacement system of claim 32 , wherein the two lens portions are biased away from each other by spring.