What is Mechatronics Engineering?

Answer 1

Mechantronics Engineering is the combination of electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. I took a mechatronics class in college and it was pretty cool. We designed and built robots that were programmed to hit hockey pucks through a goal. Also for my senior design project we used our mechatronics knowledge to design an autonomous vaccum cleaner (early version of the Roomba).

Answer 2

The historical development of technical science has led to a specialization of teaching and research. Characteristic of this is the current course plans for the study of mechanical and electrical/electronic engineering. The extreme specialization in the education of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineers is reflected in the work methodologies of many project and construction departments: the planning and design occurs within strictly defined areas of specialization, not over the system as a whole, which consists of a collection of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and electronic subsystems, bound together and controlled by some computational process. Innovations that extend the current technical possibilities are only achievable when:
- New inventions and developments are designed as comprehensive mechatronic systems which are then optimized, as a whole, using the most modern methods applicable;
- Specialized mechatronic components and subsystems are extensively used, and microelectronic components and subsystems (sensors, processors and actuators) are deployed throughout the system.
The Johannes-Kepler University in Linz has thus set up the course in Mechatronic, starting in 1990, so as to prepare industry to meet the requirements for placing new products and developments upon the world stage. The target of this new, very discriminating and demanding course, is to educate engineers who:
- can be professionally active at the junction of mechanical, electronic, electric and software engineering;
- can take on research and development projects in this interdisciplinary field;
- from the breadth of their education are always in the position to enter new fields of work.

Answer 3

"The historical development of technical science has led to a specialization of teaching and research. Characteristic of this is the current course plans for the study of mechanical and electrical/electronic engineering. The extreme specialization in the education of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineers is reflected in the work methodologies of many project and construction departments: the planning and design occurs within strictly defined areas of specialization, not over the system as a whole, which consists of a collection of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and electronic subsystems, bound together and controlled by some computational process."

and also

"What is to be understood by the term Mechatronic?

Mechatronic is the totality of fundamentals, procedures and techniques for the service, production and development of future-oriented machines, devices and installations. Mechatronic is thus an interdisciplinary technical discipline, built upon the basis of classical mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering, binding these sciences not only with one another, but also with computer science and software engineering. As a central focus is the integral development of systems from technical components ("Mecha''), which are to be intelligently controlled ("tronic''). A system composed of mechanical and electrical parts, overlaid with sensors, which record information, microprocessors, which interpret, process and analyze the information, and assemblies which then react upon this information, thus becomes a complete mechatronic system. The terminology "Mechatronic'' has existed since about 1980 in Japan, apparently the imprint of an employee of the Yasukawa Company. The actual collection of subjects and ideas that make up mechatronics, however, is not new: in the aerospace industries, for example, they have existed and been successful for quite some time. The development of economical computational power and intelligent power electronics is the main reason that this interdisciplinary point of view has been used for the development of new products outside the scope of aerospace. A range of examples might include automatic video cameras, the CD player, the modern photocopier, the user-friendly Fuzzy-logic washing machine, the car engine with emission sensors and computer controlled injection. Upon further investigation of these examples, one finds that the mutual penetration of these sciences in industrial applications does not simply bring about improvements in products, but actually leads to completely new solutions. It would be however false to believe that mechatronics is only for high tech products. Mechatronic solutions to problems are to be found throughout the spectrum of engineering fields."

There are a lots of definitions and many examples, which even me made me curious about, because I have met at my Technical university some colleagues which studied Mechatronics, and I really didn't knew what was so much fuzz about, even after I asked my colleagues from that section.

Many of examples and also definitions to fulfill any of your question (even mine :P) are found on the link below

Good luck and Godspeed
Dfriend:)

Answer 4

Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of mechanical engineering ("mecha" for mechanisms, i.e., machines that 'move'), electronic engineering ("tronics" for electronics), and software engineering. The purpose of this interdisciplinary engineering field is the study of automata from an engineering perspective and serves the purposes of controlling advanced hybrid systems.

Answer 5

If richard b is correct then I must say I recognised this need in 1945 when as a mechanical engineer trained myself into an electrical one so that I might design machine tools using two disciplines. It was 1951 before I first used it.
So- I guess it's a new word?

Answer 6

Study of any machine combined with an electronic circuits