Mechatronics Overview

MECHATRONICS OVERVIEW

Mechatronics Engineering concerns the design of computer controlled electromechanical systems. It includes robotics and automation systems, neural prosthetics, micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), and many other leading-edge technologies. Mechatronics Engineering is a multi-disciplinary program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in cooperation with both the Systems Design and Electrical & Computer Engineering departments. Graduates of the program will receive the degree of Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering.

Mechatronics is a new approach in engineering design and production based on the integration of two of the classical engineering disciplines, namely mechanical and electrical engineering, along with computer science and especially software engineering.

A system composed of mechanical and electrical parts, overlaid with sensors that record information, with microprocessors that interpret, process and analyze this information, and finally assemblies that react upon the information, constitutes a Mechatronics system. Examples include, at a simple yet typical level, some of the smart products that are used as ordinary consumer goods in our daily lives, such as cameras, video recorders, CDs, photocopiers or washing machines, all of which incorporate sensors, microprocessor-based controllers and actuators that make them more versatile and easy to use. Automated machines used in medicine, agriculture, banking, mining or manufacturing that can sense, perceive, reason, decide and act are also mechatronics systems. Thus an almost endless list comprises devices that constitute contemporary technologies of automation.

The goal of the degree in Mechatronics is to integrate mechanical and electrical -- including optical -- engineering and computer science into a meaningful program so as to produce engineers that are conversant with all of the relevant technologies needed to create a modern, smart electro-mechanical product. The use of a variety of CAD (Computer Aided Design) tools in engineering design and analysis is emphasized, and realistic engineering problem settings are provided in laboratories so as to enable students to successfully address complex design and implementation problems.

The true Mechatronics engineer of the future is going to be a rare individual who, by working across the boundaries of the field's constituent disciplines, will be able to identify and use the right combination of technologies and experience for the design of products and systems. A graduate of this program, being equipped with an amalgam of complex knowledge and concepts across various disciplines, will have a considerable advantage in seeking employment in hi-tech companies with computer-integrated manufacturing systems, as well as with research centers that develop and use advanced automation equipment.