Rotary electric motor having magnetically isolated stator and rotor groups

A rotary electric motor having a stator and a rotor, the motor comprising:

• first and second annular ring members concentrically arranged about an axis of rotation and separated from each other by an radial air gap;
• wherein
• said first member comprises groups of electromagnet poles, the groups substantially equidistantly distributed along its annular ring, each of the groups comprising magnetic material magnetically and electrically isolated and separated from the other groups;
• said second member comprises a plurality of groups of permanent magnet poles substantially equidistantly distributed with alternating magnetic polarity within each group, each group of permanent magnet poles having a common magnetic return path that is isolated and separated from the magnetic return path of adjacent permanent magnet groups;
• and
• wherein each group of electromagnet poles comprises windings that are switchably energized for driving electromotive interaction between the first and second members, in accordance with a sequential, non-sequential, or random excitation scheme.