Introduction to Mechatronics

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The word, mechatronics is composed of mecha
from mechanics and 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.
 “Synergistic use of precision engineering, control
theory, computer science, and sensor and
actuator technology to design improved products
and processes.”

 “Synergistic integration of mechanical engineering

with electronics and intelligent computer control
in the design and manufacturing of industrial
products and processes.”

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“Field of study involving the analysis, design,
synthesis, and selection of systems that combine
electronics and mechanical components with
modern controls and microprocessors.”

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 “Mechatronics is the synergistic integration of
sensors, actuators, signal conditioning, power
electronics, decision and control algorithms,
and computer hardware and software to
manage complexity, uncertainty, and
communication in engineered systems”
 Synergistic combined effort being greater than
parts: the working together of two or more
people, organizations, or things, especially when
the result is greater than the sum of their
individual effects or capabilities

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Mechatronics Engineer solves this problem

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 Hardware is the name given to the physical
devices and circuitry of the computer.
Software refers to the programs written for the
computer.
Firmware is the term given to programs stored in
ROMs or in Programmable devices which
permanently keep their stored information.
Embedded Systems
 A combination of hardware and software which
together form a component of a Mechatronics
systems.
 An embedded system is designed to run on its
own without human intervention, and may be
required to respond to events in real time. 10
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering
Computer/Information Systems

Information Mechanical
Systems Systems

Mechatrnoics

Computer
Electrical
Systems
Systems
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Mechatronics key elements
Products and processes requiring inputs from
more than one discipline can be realized through
following types of interactions.
Multi-disciplinary: This is an additive process
of bringing multiple disciplines together to
bear on a problem.
Cross-disciplinary: In this process, one
discipline is examined from the perspective
of another discipline.
Inter-disciplinary: This is an integrative
process involving two or more disciplines
simultaneously to bear on a problem.
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Sequential and discipline specific concurrent
design processes for product realization are at
best multi-disciplinary calling upon discipline
specialists to “design by discipline.”
 Design mechanical system “plant.”
 Select sensors and actuators and mount on
plant.
 Design signal conditioning and power
electronics.
 Design and implement control algorithm
using electrical, electronics, microprocessor,
microcontroller, or microcomputer based
hardware.
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Systems engineering allows design, analysis, and
synthesis of products and processes involving
components from multiple disciplines.
Mechatronics exploits systems engineering to
guide the product realization process from
design, model, simulate, analyze, refine,
prototype, validate, and deployment cycle.
In Mechatronics-based product realization:
mechanical, electrical, and computer
engineering and information systems are
integrated throughout the design process so
that the final products can be better than the
sum of its parts.
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Mechatronics system is not
 simply a multi-disciplinary system
 simply an electromechanical system
 just a control system

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What is a model ?
 It is a set of equations that describe the

relationship between the system variables –

often the input(s) and output(s) of the system
 If the dynamic behavior of a physical system

can be represented by an equation, or a set of

equations, this is referred to as the
mathematical model of the system.
Why do we need models ?
 To understand and/or predict system

behaviour.

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How do we obtain them ?
 For physical systems, these equations are

derived from study of the physical

properties of the system such as mechanics,
fluids, electrical, thermodynamics, etc.
Quantitative mathematical models must be
obtained to understand and control complex
dynamic systems.

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Technological advances in design, manufacturing,
and operation of engineered products/ devices/
processes can be traced through:
 Industrial revolution
 Semiconductor revolution
 Information revolution

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Allowed design of products and processes for
energy conversion and transmission thus
allowing the use of energy to do useful work.
Engineering designs of this era were largely
mechanical
 e.g., operations of motion transmission,
sensing, actuation, and computation were
performed using mechanical components
such as cams, gears, levers, and linkages).
Purely mechanical systems suffer from
 Power amplification inability.
 Energy losses due to tolerances, inertia, and
friction. 21
Float Valve

Thermostat

Bi-metallic Strip
Cam Operated Switch
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Led to the creation of integrated circuit (IC)
technology.
Effective, miniaturized, power electronics
could amplify and deliver needed amount of
power to actuators.
Signal conditioning electronics could filter and
encode sensory data in analog/digital format.
Hard-wired, on-board, discrete analog/digital
ICs provided rudimentary computational and
decision-making circuits for control of
mechanical devices.
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An Integrated Circuit An A2D Converter An Operational Amplifier

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Development of VLSI technology led to the
introduction of microprocessor, microcomputer,
and microcontroller.
Now computing hardware is omnipresent, cheap,
and small.
As computing hardware can be effortlessly
interfaced with real world electromechanical
systems, it is now routinely embedded in
engineered products/processes for decision-
making.
 Microcontrollers are replacing precision
mechanical components, e.g., precision-
machined camshaft that in many applications
functions as a timing device. 25
 Programmability of microcontrollers is providing
a versatile and flexible alternative to the hard-
wired analog/digital computational hardware.
 Integrated computer-electrical-mechanical
devices are now capable of converting,
transmitting, and processing both the physical
energy and the virtual energy (information).
Result: Highly efficient products and processes
are now being developed by careful selection and
integration of sensors, actuators, signal
conditioning, power electronics, decision and
control algorithms, and computer hardware and
software.
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The followings are basic Elements of Mechatronics
 Mechanical
 Electromechanical
 Electrical/Electronic
 Control Interface/Computing Hardware
 Computer/Information System

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Mechanical elements refer to
 Mechanical structure, mechanism, thermo-
fluid, and hydraulic aspects of a
mechatronics system.
Mechanical elements may include static/dynamic
characteristics.
A mechanical element interacts with its
environment purposefully.
Mechanical elements require physical power to
produce motion, force, heat, etc.

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 Gear, rack, pinion, etc.

Cam and Follower

Chain and sprocket

Inclined plane wedge

Lever

Slider-Crank

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Linkage Wheel/Axle Springs
Electromechanical elements refer to:
 Sensors
A variety of physical variables can be
measured using sensors, e.g., light using
photo-resistor, level and displacement using
potentiometer, direction/tilt using magnetic
sensor, sound using microphone, stress and
pressure using strain gauge, touch using
micro-switch, temperature using thermistor,
and humidity using conductivity sensor

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  Actuators
 DC servomotor, stepper motor, relay,
solenoid, speaker, light emitting diode
(LED), shape memory alloy, electromagnet,
and pump apply commanded action on the
physical process
 IC-based sensors and actuators (digital-
compass, -potentiometer, etc.).

Flexiforce Pneumatic
Sensor 31 DC Motor Cylinder
Electrical elements refer to:
 Electrical components (e.g., resistor (R), capacitor
(C), inductor (L), transformer, etc.), circuits, and
analog signals
Electronic elements refer to:
 Analog/digital electronics, transistors,
thyristors, opto-isolators, operational amplifiers,
power electronics, and signal conditioning
The electrical/electronic elements are used to
interface electro-mechanical sensors and
actuators to the control interface/computing
hardware elements 32
Control interface/computing hardware elements
refer to:
 Analog-to-digital (A2D) converter, digital-to-
analog (D2A) converter, digital input/output
(I/O), counters, timers, microprocessor,
microcontroller, data acquisition and control
(DAC) board, and digital signal processing
(DSP) board
Control interface hardware allows analog/digital
interfacing
 communication of sensor signal to the control
computer and communication of control signal
from the control computer to the actuator 33
Control computing hardware implements a
control algorithm, which uses sensor
measurements, to compute control actions to
be applied by the actuator.

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Computer elements refer to hardware/software
utilized to perform:
 computer-aided dynamic system analysis,
optimization, design, and simulation
 virtual instrumentation
 rapid control prototyping
 hardware-in-the-loop simulation
 PC-based data acquisition and control

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Typical knowledgebase for optimal design and
operation of mechatronic systems comprises of:
 Dynamic system modeling and analysis

 Thermo-fluid, structural, hydraulic, electrical,

chemical, biological, etc.
 Decision and control theory
 Sensors and signal conditioning
 Actuators and power electronics
 Data acquisition
 A2D, D2A, digital I/O, counters, timers, etc.
 Hardware interfacing
 Rapid control prototyping
 Embedded computing 37
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Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) is an
enabling technology for the cost-effective
development of sensors and actuators for
mechatronics applications.
Already, several MEMS devices are in use in
automobiles, including sensors and actuators for
airbag deployment and pressure sensors for
manifold pressure measurement.
Integrating MEMS devices with CMOS signal
conditioning circuits on the same silicon chip is
another example of development of enabling
technologies that will improve mechatronic
products, such as the automobile.
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Smart consumer products: home security,
camera, microwave oven, toaster, dish washer,
laundry washer-dryer, climate control units, etc.
Medical: implant-devices, assisted surgery,
hepatic, etc.
Defense: unmanned air, ground, and underwater
vehicles, smart munitions, jet engines, etc.
Manufacturing: robotics, machines, processes,
etc.
Automotive: climate control, antilock brake,
active suspension, cruise control, air bags,
engine management, safety, etc.
Network-centric, distributed systems: distributed
robotics, tele-robotics, intelligent highways, etc.
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■ Entertainment ■ Adaptive control
■ Generation II ABS ■ Satellite services
■ Heads-up monitoring radio/GPS
■ Night vision ■ Tele-operation
■ Back-up collision sensor ■ Software control
■ Navigation ■ Rain-sensing
■ Tire pressure sensing ■ Auto parking
■ Homonymic and non- ■ Simulators
homonymic motion ■ Testing

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■ Using a radar to measure
distance and velocity to
autonomously maintain desired
distance between vehicles.

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 Clearly, an automobile with 30–60 microcontrollers,
up to 100 electric motors, about 200 pounds of
wiring, a multitude of sensors, and thousands of
lines of software code can hardly be classified as a
strictly mechanical system.
 The automobile is being transformed into a
comprehensive mechatronic system.

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Using a computer:
 Turn on the lights at preset times

 Adjust brightness

 Turn on the heat at preset times or

temperatures
 Serve as a security system

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The Robot is, of course, the ultimate Mechatronic
System
Applications of Robotics
• Telemedicine/Telesurgery
• Unmanned vehicles
• Humanoids
• Manufacturing automation

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Indoor Robots NASA Mars Rover Asimo Humanoid

Robocup Team Micro Robot

NAO Humanoid
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 Flying UAV Underwater Robot Big Dog Robot

CCD Camera Compass IR PSD Servo motor Sonar Laser ranger

Robot sensors
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 Robot educational kits

NXT Intelligent Brick Servo Motor

Sound Sensor Light Sensor Touch Sensor

Compass Ultrasonic
key transponder Accelerometer
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Sensor
 Remote Robot Arm Manipulation

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Remote Emergency Notification System
 Smart Irrigation System

Smart Cameras Smart Cane

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Pipeline Inspection & Repair

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In the future, growth in mechatronic systems will
be fueled by the growth in the constituent areas.
Advancements in traditional disciplines fuel the
growth of mechatronics systems by providing
“enabling technologies.”
For example, the invention of the microprocessor
had a profound effect on the redesign of
mechanical systems and design of new
mechatronics systems.

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We should expect continued advancements in
cost-effective microprocessors and
microcontrollers, sensor and actuator
development enabled by advancements in
applications of, adaptive control
methodologies and real-time programming
methods, networking and wireless
technologies, virtual prototyping, and testing

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The combination of mechanics, electronics,
computer hardware and software, and control
systems will revolutionize technology in the
coming decades
This revolution will create exciting career
opportunities in:
 Automotive and Aerospace Industries
 Medicine and Biomedical Industries
 Robotics and Automated Manufacturing
 Computer Hardware and Software Industries
 Telecommunication Industries
 The market needs broadly educated engineers trained in
multidisiplinary systems engineering to take advantage
of the exciting career opportunities
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