Anyone who has used a lens with image stabilization can easily recall the cool effect when looking through the viewfinder and press the shutter button halfway down. Those shaky shots suddenly become very stable – with almost a feeling that your lens is floating in some sort of fluid.
This short video shows the components inside of Canon’s 18-55mm IS lens operating with front element of the lens removed. As you can see, it’s a combination of springs and servos that deliver that fluid stabilization. I found myself watching this over and over.