Mechatronics

Mechatronics is a field of science that incorporates electrical and mechanical engineering, computer control, and information technology. The field is used to design functional and adaptable products and is concerned with traditional mechanical products that are controlled by electronic and computerized mechanisms. A robot is an example of an item made using mechatronics. Its physical parts are produced using mechanical engineering, but its parts that power it and allow it to function are produced using electronic and computerized means. A robot itself is also an example of a mechatronic product because it contains both mechanical and electronic parts controlled by a computer. Mechatronics can be applied to a variety of fields.

Background

Mechatronics can be used to describe the process in which machines are automated by way of computers and other electronic equipment. Prior to the 1970s, many everyday items such as machine tools, manufacturing equipment, and home appliances were made using mechanical principles; they had few—if any—electronic elements.

For example, cars of this era had mostly mechanical parts such as the engine, gearbox, and drive shaft. The lights and windshield wipers were the only electrical components of the car. As time passed, cars were made with both mechanical and electrical parts. Cars with electrical sensors warned drivers of potential problems that a car may have such as low tire pressure or low oil levels. Modern cars have features such as traction control, which is controlled by both mechanical elements such as the tires and electrical elements such as sensors. Antilock brakes, climate control, and memory-adjust seats also are examples of features made possible by mechatronics.

Near the early 1970s, Japanese engineer Tetsuro Mori coined the term mechatronics from the words mechanical and electronic to describe the functions that the Yaskawa Electric Corp. used to manufacture mechanical factory equipment. The factory used both mechanical and electronic elements to produce electric motors that were controlled by computers. Yaskawa later registered the term, but it was not used regularly until electrical, electronic, and computerized systems were integrated into mechanical products.

The use of new technology, such as computer hardware and software, made controlling and operating machines much easier and less costly. This technology allowed factories to manufacture many new products that were both mechanical and electrical faster, more accurately, and less expensively since computers could be programmed to instruct machines.

Throughout the 1970s, mechatronic technology was used in the robotics field, such as to help robotic arms coordinate movements, and the automotive industry, such as to equip cars with electronic features. It was also used to advance servo technology, which controlled automatic door openers, vending machines, and more. In the following decade, the introduction of information technology allowed engineers to improve the performance of mechanical systems by installing microprocessors in the machinery. By the 1990s, advanced computer technology further influenced the field of mechatronics and expanded its reach into numerous fields.

Topic Today

As of the twenty-first century, mechatronics is used to make numerous items such as automobiles, home appliances, computer hard drives, medical devices, and automotive parts as well as the machinery used to produce these items, such as computerized assembly systems. Any machinery that requires the use of a senor is made using mechatronic technology. For example, a clothes dryer is programmed to stop when clothes are dry or windshield wipers slow down for drizzle or speed up for harder rain.

Mechatronics is used in an array of applications, including biomedical systems; computer-aided design; computer numerical control (CNC) and direct numerical control (DNC) of machinery; energy and power systems; data communication systems; industrial goods; machine automation; and vehicular systems. Mechatronics can be classified into ten technical areas: actuators and sensors; automotive systems; intelligent control; manufacturing; modeling and design; micro devices and optoelectronics (technology that uses electronics and light); motion control; robotics; system integration; and vibration and noise control. These areas depend on a blend of mechanical, computerized, and electronic systems for product development and production technology.

While the subject of mechatronics has been studied in Japan and Europe for several decades, the field has been slow to gain both industrial and academic acceptance in the United States. Before engineers were skilled in mechatronics, mechanical engineers focused on designing machines and products, while software and computer engineers worked on the control and programming elements of these machines. The introduction of mechatronics streamlined this process since engineers skilled in mechatronics can both construct machinery and write the control systems to operate it. They understand both the mechanical design and all of the electronic and computerized elements that allow the devices to operate.

Students interested in mechatronics can pursue degrees in mechanical engineering with a focus on electrical engineering and computer control. Some universities offer specialized mechatronics programs. Mechatronics is used to create an array of products in many different industries. Many manufacturing companies are requiring engineers to be trained in electronics, mechanics, computer control, and more. Individuals trained in mechatronics can also work in a variety of fields outside the manufacturing industry. They can oversee robots in factories where the machines assemble products such as vehicles. They can run greenhouses using controls that manage lighting, irrigation, and temperature to more effectively produce plants or construct wind farms. Engineers skilled in mechatronics can help design systems that allow cars to drive themselves or drones to fly themselves. They can design high-tech security measures such as fingerprint sensors, voice-recognition programs, and retinal scans. They can design virtual reality interfaces for the gaming industry. The increased need for technological advances in the industrial and manufacturing sectors will continue to have an influence on the growing mechatronics field.

Bibliography

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