Mechatronics involves the bringing together of a number of technologies: mechanical engineering, electronic engineering,computer technology, and control engineering. This can be considered to be the application of computer based digital control techniques, through electronic and electric interfaces, to mechanical engineering problems. Mechatronics provides an opportunity to take a new look problems. with mechanical engineers not just seeing a problem in terms of mechanical principles but having to see it in terms of a range of technologies. The electronics, etc., should not be seen as a bolt-on item to existing mechanical hardware. A mechatronics approach needs to be adopted right from the design phase. there needs to be a complete rethink of the requirements in terms of what an item is required to do.
There are many applications of mechatronics in the mass produced products used in the home. Microprocessor based controllers are to be found in domestic washing machines, dish washers, microwaves ovens, cameras, camcorders, watches, hi-fi machines, etc. They are to be found in cars in the active suspension, anti-skid brakes, engine control, speedometer display, transmission, etc.
A larger scale application of mechatronics is a flexible manufacturing engineering system (FMS) involving computer controlled machines, robots, automatic material conveying and overall supervisory control.
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