What Is Mechatronics?
|
The term mechatronics was first coined by the Japanese in the mid-1970s when microprocessors (task-specific computers) were gaining popularity in the industrial arena. Microprocessors were being used more frequently to control industrial machinery and factory robots. Mechatronics has come to mean different things in different engineering circles, but the essence of mechatronics is defined by this statement: “Mechatronics is concerned with the blending of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering technologies into a unified framework that enhances the design process.” The figure below is a graphical representation of this definition. |
|
In the figure above, mechanical engineering refers to the physical aspect of engineering: gears, vehicles, mechanisms, connectors, etc. An example of a mechanical system would be the transmission of a bicycle with its gear-changer levers, cables, and chain. Electrical engineering refers to electronics and electrical components that use electricity to perform tasks that do not typically produce physical, tangible motion. An example is the circuit board in a telephone that conditions, filters, and translates the electrical signals in the phone line into audible sound waves. Finally, computer engineering refers to the use of special programmable electronics, which are usually capable of performing fast and powerful calculations. Most people think of personal computers when they hear the word computer, but there are many home appliances that have computers inside. Automatic bread-makers and DVD players are two examples of devices with complex internal computers.
