31-01-2013, 10:23 AM
Overview of Mechatronics
[attachment=48990]
What is Mechatronics?
Mechatronics is a natural stage in the evolutionary process of modern engineering design. The development
of the computer, and then the microcomputer, embedded computers, and associated information
technologies and software advances, made mechatronics an imperative in the latter part of the twentieth
century. Standing at the threshold of the twenty-first century, with expected advances in integrated bioelectro-
mechanical systems, quantum computers, nano- and pico-systems, and other unforeseen developments,
the future of mechatronics is full of potential and bright possibilities.
Basic Definitions
The definition of mechatronics has evolved since the original definition by the Yasakawa Electric Company.
In trademark application documents, Yasakawa defined mechatronics in this way [1,2]:
The word, mechatronics, is composed of “mecha” from mechanism and the “tronics” from electronics.
In other words, technologies and developed products will be incorporating electronics more and more
into mechanisms, intimately and organically, and making it impossible to tell where one ends and the
other begins.
The definition of mechatronics continued to evolve after Yasakawa suggested the original definition. One
oft quoted definition of mechatronics was presented by Harashima, Tomizuka, and Fukada in 1996 [3].
In their words, mechatronics is defined as
the synergistic integration of mechanical engineering, with electronics and intelligent computer control
in the design and manufacturing of industrial products and processes.
Historical Perspective
Attempts to construct automated mechanical systems has an interesting history. Actually, the term “automation”
was not popularized until the 1940s when it was coined by the Ford Motor Company to denote
a process in which a machine transferred a sub-assembly item from one station to another and then
positioned the item precisely for additional assembly operations. But successful development of automated
mechanical systems occurred long before then.
The Development of the Automobile
as a Mechatronic System
The evolution of modern mechatronics can be illustrated with the example of the automobile. Until the
1960s, the radio was the only significant electronics in an automobile. All other functions were entirely
mechanical or electrical, such as the starter motor and the battery charging systems. There were no
“intelligent safety systems,” except augmenting the bumper and structural members to protect occupants
in case of accidents. Seat belts, introduced in the early 1960s, were aimed at improving occupant safety
and were completely mechanically actuated. All engine systems were controlled by the driver and/or other
mechanical control systems. For instance, before the introduction of sensors and microcontrollers, a
mechanical distributor was used to select the specific spark plug to fire when the fuel–air mixture was
compressed. The timing of the ignition was the control variable. The mechanically controlled combustion
process was not optimal in terms of fuel efficiency. Modeling of the combustion process showed that,
for increased fuel efficiency, there existed an optimal time when the fuel should be ignited. The timing
depends on load, speed, and other measurable quantities. The electronic ignition system was one of the
first mechatronic systems to be introduced in the automobile in the late 1970s. The electronic ignition
system consists of a crankshaft position sensor, camshaft position sensor, airflow rate, throttle position,
rate of throttle position change sensors, and a dedicated microcontroller determining the timing of the
spark plug firings. Early implementations involved only a Hall effect sensor to sense the position of the
rotor in the distributor accurately. Subsequent implementations eliminated the distributor completely
and directly controlled the firings utilizing a microprocessor.
What is Mechatronics? And What’s Next?
Mechatronics, the term coined in Japan in the 1970s, has evolved over the past 25 years and has led to
a special breed of intelligent products. What is mechatronics? It is a natural stage in the evolutionary
process of modern engineering design. For some engineers, mechatronics is nothing new, and, for others,
it is a philosophical approach to design that serves as a guide for their activities. Certainly, mechatronics
is an evolutionary process, not a revolutionary one. It is clear that an all-encompassing definition of
mechatronics does not exist, but in reality, one is not needed. It is understood that mechatronics is about
the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems. One can understand the
extent that mechatronics reaches into various disciplines by characterizing the constituent components
comprising mechatronics, which include (i) physical systems modeling, (ii) sensors and actuators, (iii)
signals and systems, (iv) computers and logic systems, and (v) software and data acquisition. Engineers
and scientists from all walks of life and fields of study can contribute to mechatronics. As engineering
and science boundaries become less well defined, more students will seek a multi-disciplinary education
with a strong design component. Academia should be moving towards a curriculum, which includes
coverage of mechatronic systems.
[attachment=48990]
What is Mechatronics?
Mechatronics is a natural stage in the evolutionary process of modern engineering design. The development
of the computer, and then the microcomputer, embedded computers, and associated information
technologies and software advances, made mechatronics an imperative in the latter part of the twentieth
century. Standing at the threshold of the twenty-first century, with expected advances in integrated bioelectro-
mechanical systems, quantum computers, nano- and pico-systems, and other unforeseen developments,
the future of mechatronics is full of potential and bright possibilities.
Basic Definitions
The definition of mechatronics has evolved since the original definition by the Yasakawa Electric Company.
In trademark application documents, Yasakawa defined mechatronics in this way [1,2]:
The word, mechatronics, is composed of “mecha” from mechanism and the “tronics” from electronics.
In other words, technologies and developed products will be incorporating electronics more and more
into mechanisms, intimately and organically, and making it impossible to tell where one ends and the
other begins.
The definition of mechatronics continued to evolve after Yasakawa suggested the original definition. One
oft quoted definition of mechatronics was presented by Harashima, Tomizuka, and Fukada in 1996 [3].
In their words, mechatronics is defined as
the synergistic integration of mechanical engineering, with electronics and intelligent computer control
in the design and manufacturing of industrial products and processes.
Historical Perspective
Attempts to construct automated mechanical systems has an interesting history. Actually, the term “automation”
was not popularized until the 1940s when it was coined by the Ford Motor Company to denote
a process in which a machine transferred a sub-assembly item from one station to another and then
positioned the item precisely for additional assembly operations. But successful development of automated
mechanical systems occurred long before then.
The Development of the Automobile
as a Mechatronic System
The evolution of modern mechatronics can be illustrated with the example of the automobile. Until the
1960s, the radio was the only significant electronics in an automobile. All other functions were entirely
mechanical or electrical, such as the starter motor and the battery charging systems. There were no
“intelligent safety systems,” except augmenting the bumper and structural members to protect occupants
in case of accidents. Seat belts, introduced in the early 1960s, were aimed at improving occupant safety
and were completely mechanically actuated. All engine systems were controlled by the driver and/or other
mechanical control systems. For instance, before the introduction of sensors and microcontrollers, a
mechanical distributor was used to select the specific spark plug to fire when the fuel–air mixture was
compressed. The timing of the ignition was the control variable. The mechanically controlled combustion
process was not optimal in terms of fuel efficiency. Modeling of the combustion process showed that,
for increased fuel efficiency, there existed an optimal time when the fuel should be ignited. The timing
depends on load, speed, and other measurable quantities. The electronic ignition system was one of the
first mechatronic systems to be introduced in the automobile in the late 1970s. The electronic ignition
system consists of a crankshaft position sensor, camshaft position sensor, airflow rate, throttle position,
rate of throttle position change sensors, and a dedicated microcontroller determining the timing of the
spark plug firings. Early implementations involved only a Hall effect sensor to sense the position of the
rotor in the distributor accurately. Subsequent implementations eliminated the distributor completely
and directly controlled the firings utilizing a microprocessor.
What is Mechatronics? And What’s Next?
Mechatronics, the term coined in Japan in the 1970s, has evolved over the past 25 years and has led to
a special breed of intelligent products. What is mechatronics? It is a natural stage in the evolutionary
process of modern engineering design. For some engineers, mechatronics is nothing new, and, for others,
it is a philosophical approach to design that serves as a guide for their activities. Certainly, mechatronics
is an evolutionary process, not a revolutionary one. It is clear that an all-encompassing definition of
mechatronics does not exist, but in reality, one is not needed. It is understood that mechatronics is about
the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems. One can understand the
extent that mechatronics reaches into various disciplines by characterizing the constituent components
comprising mechatronics, which include (i) physical systems modeling, (ii) sensors and actuators, (iii)
signals and systems, (iv) computers and logic systems, and (v) software and data acquisition. Engineers
and scientists from all walks of life and fields of study can contribute to mechatronics. As engineering
and science boundaries become less well defined, more students will seek a multi-disciplinary education
with a strong design component. Academia should be moving towards a curriculum, which includes
coverage of mechatronic systems.