Abstract: We describe a nanopositioning device comprising: a mount and a moving stage held within said mount, preferably by sets of flexures on opposite sides of the stage such that the stage is displaceable in a longitudinal direction within said mount. A piezoelectric actuator is mechanically coupled to said stage to controllably displace the stage in a longitudinal direction. In embodiments the flexures comprise metal leaves having a plane extending between the stage and the mount perpendicular to said longitudinal direction. The device includes various additional features to improve resolution, frequency response and the like.

Abstract: A hand-held optical inspection device for checking, for example, the accuracy of the end surfaces of a fibre optic cable to be joined together. A body portion of the device is arranged to accept any of a range of adapter components capable of engaging in a variety of cable connector terminals. The cable and the adapter component are then snap-fitted into a centering ring of the inspection device with the end surface of the cable in the focussing plane of the lenses of the device. The surface may be inspected and may be moved laterally in the focussing plane by an eccentric cam arrangement operating on the centering ring.