What is Mechatronics Engineering?

Mechatronics is an appropriate combination of the English words mechanics and electronics and was first used in Japan. In its simplest terms, it is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that deals with the design of products to set up advanced products, processes, and systems with systems consisting of the synergetic combination of machinery, electronics, and computer technologies.

A Mechatronics engineer is a person who designs, and develops production technologies, establishes the relation and functions between the inter-systems and tests them within the valid physical rules, and develops the production technologies of electronic devices and communication systems consisting of mechanical, electric-electronic, and optical components that require all kinds of complex designs that provide solutions to demands and problems in precise and intelligent product design.

• Mechatronics is an integrated study that deals with the design of systems and products that include computation, mechanization, drive, sensing, and control parameters at the same time, designed to achieve advanced products, quality, and high performance.
• A mechatronics engineer should be capable of modeling analysis and experimental study-hardware application. The elements of mechatronic systems are sensors (light, acceleration, weight, color, temperature, image sensors, etc.), actuators (motors, energy sources, and solenoids), microprocessors, real-time control elements, and software.
• One of the features that distinguishes mechatronic systems or products from old-style electromechanical systems or products is that the functions are developed and replaced by electronic and software functions. This provides flexibility in terms of design and operation. Another feature of mechatronics is the increased speed and accuracy of performance. A third advantage is the ability to collect and report data automatically. In addition, it can control complex systems.

Work Areas of Mechatronics Engineering

The mechatronic design philosophy is applied especially in high-tech intelligent machines and systems. Some examples of these machines and systems are: 

• Airbag safety systems in vehicles, ABS braking systems, remote control door locks, driving and navigation control, engine and power systems control, passenger safety systems, and similar systems in vehicles,
• NC, CNC, AC, etc. machine tools, rapid prototype production machines, and similar automatic production machines, Variable speed drills, Numerical torque wrenches, and similar tools,
• Welding robots, in-plant self-guided vehicles (AGV), robots used in space exploration, military mine disposal robots, bomb carriers, and similar mobile robots,
• MRI devices, arthroscopic devices, ultrasonic probes, and other similar medical devices,
• Flight control actuators, landing systems, cockpit controls and instruments, and similar aircraft systems,
• Autofocus cameras, camcorders, video cameras, video, CD and DVD players, CD recorders, and similar electronic devices for personal use, real input control systems for video games, and virtual reality applications.
• Laser printers, hard disk head positioners, tape drives and loaders, CD readers and burners, image and sound processing (autofocus devices, voice-controlled devices) devices and similar computer accessories,
• Photocopiers, fax machines, electronic typewriters, and similar office machines,
• Garage door automatic opening systems, security systems, air conditioning control systems, and similar home and office applications such as building automation,
• Washing machines, dishwashers, automatic ice machines, and similar household applications,
• Intelligent measuring instruments (calibration instruments, test and measurement sensors), materials testing equipment, and similar laboratory equipment,
• Industrial automation Barcoded systems, Conveyor systems, Laser optical systems, Automatic labeling, Camera in quality inspection, and similar quality inspection and packaging applications, and similar factory automation systems,
• Hand and automatic controlled hydraulic cranes and similar material handling and construction machinery,
• Microdevices and optoelectronic systems, actuators and sensors
• Modeling and design, system integration...

History of Mechatronics?

• Ctesibius did a lot of work beyond his time and was the founder of the science of cybernetics and robotics. After him, one of the greatest cybernetics experts is Al Jazari. He built robots far ahead of his time. He improved on the inventions of his colleagues who lived in ancient times and made many of his own. Al-Jazari is known as Ibn Razzaz Cesari, the Great Engineer Ibn Razzaz Cesari, who reached the zenith of the age in the history of automatic machines. All the inventions in his book have human, aesthetic values and none of them are imaginary. They were reproduced and reworked by German Professor Wiedemann. Al-Jazari wrote the book, which was originally entitled Kitab-ül Camii Beyn-el ilmi vel-amel En Nafi-i fi Sınaat-il hiyel, which was published by the Ministry of Culture in 1990 under the title Book on the Knowledge of Extraordinary Mechanical Tools. The Turkish translation of the book was prepared by Sevim Tekeli and published by the Turkish Historical Society Publications. Al-Jazari's tomb is still in the courtyard of the Prophet Nuh Mosque in Cizre. He is known as Al-Jasar by Europeans.
• Japan has played an important role in the establishment and development of mechatronics. For the first time in 1969, an engineer from Japan's Yasukawa Electric Company used the word "mechatronics" to refer to the merging of the fields of mechanical and electronic engineering.
• Until the early 1980s, mechatronics meant electrified mechanisms. In the mid-1980s, it began to refer to the boundary between mechanics and electronics, and during these years, it became a common discipline where microcontrollers were added to mechanical systems to improve their performance and reduce their size and cost. The rapid development of mechatronics in applications during this decade covered floppy disk drives, numerically controlled machine tools, industrial robots, automobile engines, and antilock brake systems (ABS). An important feature of the 1990s was the increasing use of communication technologies, which made it possible to set up widely networked systems.
• Today, the term "Mechatronics" covers many technological fields as it has the basic logic of combining mechanics and electronics. It has now expanded to include software and information technologies.
• Another important trend in mechatronics is the transformation of systems and their components into microsystems. Some systems (including sensors, actuators, and control circuits) have been so miniaturized that they can even be placed on a single silicon chip with advanced semiconductor manufacturing techniques.

Another important trend has been the rapid increase in the use of these systems, including image detection, object, and distance sensors, laser actuators (used for material processing), communication systems such as LEDs (used for fiber-optic and subsystem connections), and various LCD, fluorescent, plasma and other display devices.

• The increase in the number of courses being offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels as a separate field of study and application of "Mechatronics" is an indication that mechatronics is accepted as a separate discipline all over the world.