This paper reports the successful electrostatic suspension of dielectric materials. In order to implement a stable suspension, the electrostatic forces exerted on a dielectric are actively controlled on the basis of the measured suspension gap lengths. The principle of electrostatic force generation for dielectrics is different from that for conductors. By utilizing a stator electrode pattern containing many boundaries over which potential differences exist, the suspension characteristics, such as dynamic stability, suspension initiation time and stiffness of lateral motion are greatly improved. The dynamic model of the suspension system and the influence of the resistivity of a dielectric on the closed-loop stability are described, followed by the experimental apparatus and stabilizing controller. As dielectric objects, glass plates have been suspended electrostatically at a gap length of about 0.3 mm. Apart from the structure of the stator electrode, the suspension initiation time is also influenced by air humidity, glass type, supplied voltage and gap length, which have been experimentally explored. Experimental results on the lateral dynamic characteristics are also presented.
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