The Mechatronics Handbook 2nd Edition Mechatronic Systems Sensors and Actuators By Robert H Bishop

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Preface

According to the original definition of mechatronics proposed by the Yasakawa Electric Company and
the definitions that have appeared since, many of the engineering products designed and manufactured
in the last 30 years integrating mechanical and electrical systems can be classified as mechatronic systems.
Yet many of the engineers and researchers responsible for those products were never formally trained in
mechatronics per se. The Mechatronics Handbook, 2nd Edition can serve as a reference resource for those
very same design engineers to help connect their everyday experience in design with the vibrant field of
mechatronics.
The Handbook of Mechatronics was originally a single-volume reference book offering a thorough
coverage of the field of mechatronics. With the need to present new material covering the rapid changes
in technology, especially in the area of computers and software, the single-volume reference book quickly
became unwieldy. There is too much material to cover in a single book. The topical coverage in the
Mechatronics Handbook, 2nd Edition is presented here in two books covering Mechatronic Systems, Sensors,
and Actuators: Fundamentals and Modeling and Mechatronic System Control, Logic, and Data Acquisition.
These two books are intended for use in research and development departments in academia, government,

and industry, and as a reference source in university libraries. They can also be used as a resource for
scholars interested in understanding and explaining the engineering design process.
As the historical divisions between the various branches of engineering and computer science become
less clearly defined, we may well find that the mechatronics specialty provides a roadmap for nontraditional engineering students studying within the traditional structure of most engineering colleges. It is
evident that there is an expansion of mechatronics laboratories and classes in the university environment
worldwide. This fact is reflected in the list of contributors to these books, including an international
group of academicians and engineers representing 13 countries. It is hoped that the books comprising
the Mechatronics Handbook, 2nd Edition can serve the world community as the definitive reference source
in mechatronics.


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Organization

The Mechatronics Handbook, 2nd Edition is a collection of 56 chapters covering the key elements of
mechatronics:
a. Physical Systems Modeling
b. Sensors and Actuators
c. Signals and Systems
d. Computers and Logic Systems
e. Software and Data Acquisition

Physical system modeling

Sensors and actuators
MECHATRONICS

Software and
data acquisition

Signals and systems

Computers and
logic systems

Key Elements of Mechatronics

Mechatronic Systems, Sensors, and Actuators: Fundamentals
and Modeling
The book presents an overview of the field of mechatronics. It is here that the reader is first introduced
to the basic definitions and the key elements of mechatronics. Also included in this book are detailed
descriptions of mathematical models of the various mechanical, electrical, and fluid subsystems that
comprise many mechatronic systems. Discussion of the fundamental physical relationships and mathematical models associated with commonly used sensor and actuator technologies complete the volume.


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Section I—Overview of Mechatronics
In the opening section, the general subject of mechatronics is defined and organized. The chapters are
overview in nature and are intended to provide an introduction to the key elements of mechatronics.
For readers interested in education issues related to mechatronics, this first section concludes with a
discussion on new directions in the mechatronics engineering curriculum. The chapters, listed in order
of appearance, are
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.

What Is Mechatronics?
Mechatronic Design Approach
System Interfacing, Instrumentation, and Control Systems
Microprocessor-Based Controllers and Microelectronics
An Introduction to Micro- and Nanotechnology
Mechatronics Engineering Curriculum Design

Section II—Physical System Modeling
The underlying mechanical and electrical mathematical models comprising many mechatronic systems
are presented in this section. The discussion is intended to provide a detailed description of the process
of physical system modeling, including topics on structures and materials, fluid systems, electrical systems,
thermodynamic systems, rotational and translational systems, modeling issues associated with MEMS,
and the physical basis of analogies in system models. The chapters, listed in order of appearance, are
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Modeling Electromechanical Systems
Structures and Materials
Modeling of Mechanical Systems for Mechatronics Applications

Fluid Power Systems
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Thermodynamics
Numerical Simulation
Modeling and Simulation for MEMS
Rotational and Translational Microelectromechanical Systems: MEMS Synthesis, Microfabrication, Analysis, and Optimization
16. The Physical Basis of Analogies in Physical System Models

Section III—Mechatronic Sensors and Actuators
The basics of sensors and actuators begins with chapters on the important subject of time and frequency
and on the subject of sensor and actuator characteristics. The remainder of the book is subdivided into
two categories: sensors and actuators. The chapters, listed in order of appearance, are
17.
18.
19.
20.

Introduction to Sensors and Actuators
Fundamentals of Time and Frequency
Sensor and Actuator Characteristics
Sensors
20.1 Linear and Rotational Sensors
20.2 Acceleration Sensors
20.3 Force Measurement
20.4 Torque and Power Measurement
20.5 Flow Measurement
20.6 Temperature Measurements
20.7 Distance Measuring and Proximity Sensors
20.8 Light Detection, Image, and Vision Systems

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20.9 Integrated Microsensors
20.10 Vision
21. Actuators
21.1 Electromechanical Actuators
21.2 Electrical Machines
21.3 Piezoelectric Actuators
21.4 Hydraulic and Pneumatic Actuation Systems
21.5 MEMS: Microtransducers Analysis, Design, and Fabrication


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Acknowledgments

I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to all the contributing authors. Taking time from otherwise busy
and hectic schedules to author the excellent chapters appearing in this book is much appreciated.
This handbook is a result of a collaborative effort expertly managed by CRC Press. My thanks to the
editorial and production staff:
Nora Konopka
Theresa Delforn
Joette Lynch

Acquisitions Editor
Project Coordinator

Project Editor

Thanks to my friend and collaborator Professor Richard C. Dorf for his continued support and
guidance. And finally, a special thanks to Lynda Bishop for managing the incoming and outgoing draft
manuscripts. Her organizational skills were invaluable to this project.


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Editor

Robert H. Bishop is a professor of aerospace engineering
and engineering mechanics at The University of Texas at
Austin and holds the Joe J. King Professorship. He received
his BS and MS from Texas A&M University in aerospace
engineering, and his Ph.D. from Rice University in electrical and computer engineering. Prior to coming to The
University of Texas at Austin, he was a member of the
technical staff at the MIT Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.
Dr. Bishop is a specialist in the area of planetary exploration with emphasis on spacecraft guidance, navigation and
control. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Currently, Dr. Bishop is currently working with the NASA Johnson Space Center on
techniques for achieving precision landing on the moon
and Mars. He is an active researcher authoring and co-authoring over 100 journal and conference papers.
He was twice selected a faculty fellow at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and as a Welliver faculty
fellow by The Boeing Company. Dr. Bishop co-authors Modern Control Systems with Professor R. C. Dorf,
and he has authored two other books entitled Learning with LabView and Modern Control System Design
and Analysis Using Matlab and Simulink. He received the John Leland Atwood Award by the American
Society of Engineering Educators and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics that is

given periodically to “a leader who has made lasting and significant contributions to aerospace engineering
education.” Dr. Bishop is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at The University of Texas
at Austin.


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List of Contributors

Raghavendra Angara
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
University of Maryland
Baltimore County
Baltimore, Maryland
M. Anjanappa
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
University of Maryland
Baltimore County
Baltimore, Maryland
Habil Ramutis Bansevicius
Department of Mechatronics
Kaunas University of Technology
Kaunas, Lithuania
Eric J. Barth
Department of Mechanical

Engineering
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Robert H. Bishop
Department of Aerospace
Engineering and Engineering
Mechanics
The University of Texas at
Austin
Austin, Texas
Peter C. Breedveld
Department of Electrical
Engineering and Control
Engineering
University of Twente
Enschede, The Netherlands

George T.-C. Chiu
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana
K. Datta
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
University of Maryland
Baltimore County
Baltimore, Maryland
Ivan Dolezal
Technical University of Liberec

Liberec, Czech Republic
M. A. Elbestawi
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Eniko T. Enikov
Aerospace and Mechanical
Engineering
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Halit Eren
Curtin University of Technology
Perth, West Australia
H. R. (Bart) Everett
Space and Naval Warfare
Systems Center
San Diego, California

Jeannie Sullivan Falcon
Senior Marketing Engineer
National Instruments, Inc.
Austin, Texas
Jorge Fernando Figueroa
NASA Stennis Space Center
Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi
Charles J. Fraser
University of Abertay
Dundee
Scotland, United Kingdom

Ivan J. Garshelis
Magnova, Inc.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Carroll E. Goering
Department of Agricultural
and Biological
Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Michael Goldfarb
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Martin Grimheden
Department of Machine
Design
Royal Institute of Technology
Stockholms, Sweden


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Neville Hogan
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rick Homkes

Department of Computer and
Information Technology
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana
Bouvard Hosticka
Department of Mechanical,
Aerospace, and Nuclear
Engineering
School of Engineering and
Applied Sciences
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Stanley S. Ipson
Department of Cybernetics and
Virtual Systems
University of Bradford
Bradford, United Kingdom
Rolf Isermann
Laboratory for Control
Engineering and Process
Automation
Institute of Automatic Control
Darmstadt University of
Technology
Darmstadt, Germany
S. Li
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
University of Maryland
Baltimore County

Baltimore, Maryland
Chang Liu
Micro and Nanotechnology
Laboratory
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Michael A. Lombardi
National Institute of Standards
and Technology
Boulder, Colorado

Raul G. Longoria
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Kevin M. Lynch
Department Mechanical
Engineering
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
Sergey Edward Lyshevski
Department of Electrical
Engineering
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Francis C. Moon
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
Michael J. Moran

The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

Carla Purdy
ECECS Department
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
M. K. Ramasubramanian
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
Giorgio Rizzoni
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
T. Song
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
University of Maryland
Baltimore County
Baltimore, Maryland

Massimo Sorli
Department of Mechanics
Dinesh Nair
Politecnico di Torino
The University of Texas at Austin Torino, Italy
Austin, Texas
Alvin M. Strauss
Pamela M. Norris

Department of Mechanical
Department of Mechanical,
Engineering
Aerospace, and Nuclear
Vanderbilt
University
Engineering
Nashville,
Tennessee
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Ondrej Novak
Technical University of Liberec
Liberec, Czech Republic

Richard Thorn
School of Engineering
University of Derby
Derby, United Kingdom

Joey Parker
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Rymantas Tadas Tolocka
Department of Engineering
Mechanics
Kaunas University of Technology

Kaunas, Lithuania

Stefano Pastorelli
Department of Mechanics
Politecnico di Torino
Torino, Italy

Nicolas Vasquez
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas

Michael A. Peshkin
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Qin Zhang
Department of Agricultural and
Biological Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois


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Contents

SECTION I

1

Overview of Mechatronics

What Is Mechatronics?
Robert H. Bishop and M. K. Ramasubramanian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

2

Mechatronic Design Approach
Rolf Isermann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

3

System Interfacing, Instrumentation, and Control Systems
Rick Homkes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

4

Microprocessor-Based Controllers and Microelectronics
Ondrej Novak and Ivan Dolezal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

5

An Introduction to Micro- and Nanotechnology
Michael Goldfarb, Alvin M. Strauss, and Eric J. Barth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

6

Mechatronics Engineering Curriculum Design

Martin Grimheden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

SECTION II

7

Physical System Modeling

Modeling Electromechanical Systems
Francis C. Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1


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8

Structures and Materials
Eniko T. Enikov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

9

Modeling of Mechanical Systems for Mechatronics Applications
Raul G. Longoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

10

Fluid Power Systems
Qin Zhang and Carroll E. Goering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

11

Electrical Engineering
Giorgio Rizzoni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

12

Engineering Thermodynamics
Michael J. Moran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1

13

Numerical Simulation
Jeannie Sullivan Falcon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1

14

Modeling and Simulation for MEMS
Carla Purdy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1

15

Rotational and Translational Microelectromechanical Systems: MEMS
Synthesis, Microfabrication, Analysis, and Optimization
Sergey Edward Lyshevski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-1

16

The Physical Basis of Analogies in Physical System Models
Neville Hogan and Peter C. Breedveld. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-1

SECTION III

17

Mechatronic Sensors and Actuators

Introduction to Sensors and Actuators
M. Anjanappa, K. Datta, T. Song, Raghavendra Angara, and S. Li . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-1

18

Fundamentals of Time and Frequency
Michael A. Lombardi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-1

19

Sensor and Actuator Characteristics
Joey Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-1


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20

Sensors
Linear and Rotational Sensors Kevin M. Lynch and Michael A. Peshkin . . . . . . . . . . . 20-2
Acceleration Sensors Halit Eren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-12
Force Measurement M. A. Elbestawi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-34
Torque and Power Measurement Ivan J. Garshelis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-48
Flow Measurement Richard Thorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-62

Temperature Measurements Pamela M. Norris and Bouvard Hosticka . . . . . . . . . . . 20-73
Distance Measuring and Proximity Sensors Jorge Fernando Figueroa and
H. R. (Bart) Everett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-88
20.8 Light Detection, Image, and Vision Systems Stanley S. Ipson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-119
20.9 Integrated Microsensors Chang Liu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-136
20.10 Vision Nicolas Vazquez and Dinesh Nair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-153
20.1
20.2
20.3
20.4
20.5
20.6
20.7

21

Actuators
21.1
21.2
21.3
21.4
21.5

Electromechanical Actuators George T.-C. Chiu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-1
ElectricalMachines Charles J. Fraser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-33
Piezoelectric Actuators Habil Ramutis Bansevicius and Rymantas Tadas Tolocka . . . 21-51
Hydraulic and Pneumatic Actuation Systems Massimo Sorli and Stefano Pastorelli . . 21-63
MEMS: Microtransducers Analysis, Design, and Fabrication
Sergey Edward Lyshevski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-97

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1


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I
Overview of
Mechatronics
1 What Is Mechatronics?
Robert H. Bishop and M. K. Ramasubramanian ...................................................................... 1-1
Basic Definitions • Key Elements of Mechatronics • Historical Perspective • The
Development of the Automobile as a Mechatronic System • What Is Mechatronics? And
What Is Next?

2 Mechatronic Design Approach
Rolf Isermann ................................................................................................................................. 2-1
Historical Development and Definition of Mechatronic Systems • Functions
of Mechatronic Systems • Ways of Integration • Information Processing Systems (Basic
Architecture and HW/SW Trade-offs) • Concurrent Design Procedure for Mechatronic
Systems

3 System Interfacing, Instrumentation, and Control Systems
Rick Homkes ................................................................................................................................... 3-1
Introduction • Input Signals of a Mechatronic System • Output Signals of a Mechatronic
System • Signal Conditioning • Microprocessor Control • Microprocessor Numerical
Control • Microprocessor Input–Output Control • Software Control • Testing and
Instrumentation • Summary

4 Microprocessor-Based Controllers and Microelectronics
Ondrej Novak and Ivan Dolezal .................................................................................................... 4-1
Introduction to Microelectronics • Digital Logic • Overview of Control Computers
• Microprocessors and Microcontrollers • Programmable Logic Controllers • Digital
Communications

5 An Introduction to Micro- and Nanotechnology
Michael Goldfarb, Alvin M. Strauss, and Eric J. Barth ................................................................ 5-1
Introduction • Microactuators • Microsensors • Nanomachines

6 Mechatronics Engineering Curriculum Design
Martin Grimheden ......................................................................................................................... 6-1
Introduction • The Identity of Mechatronics • Legitimacy of Mechatronics • The
Selection of Mechatronics • The Communication of Mechatronics • Fine, but So What?
• Putting It All Together in a Curriculum • The Evolution of Mechatronics • Where (and
What) Is Mechatronics Today?


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1
What Is
Mechatronics?

Robert H. Bishop
The University of Texas at Austin

M. K. Ramasubramanian
North Carolina State University

1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

Basic Definitions .......................................................... 1-1
Key Elements of Mechatronics .................................... 1-2
Historical Perspective ................................................... 1-3
The Development of the Automobile as a
Mechatronic System ..................................................... 1-7
1.5 What Is Mechatronics? And What Is Next? ............... 1-10
References ................................................................................ 1-11

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. As we begin the twenty-first century, with advances in integrated bioelectromechanical systems,
quantum computers, nano- and picosystems, and other unforeseen developments, the future of mechatronics is full of potential and bright possibilities.

1.1 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

often quoted definition of mechatronics was presented by Harashima, Tomizuka, and Fukuda 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.
That same year, another definition was suggested by Auslander and Kempf [4]:
Mechatronics is the application of complex decision making to the operation of physical systems.

1-1


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1-2

Mechatronic Systems, Sensors, and Actuators

Yet another definition by Shetty and Kolk appeared in 1997 [5]:
Mechatronics is a methodology used for the optimal design of electromechanical products.
We also find the suggestion by W. Bolton that [6]
A mechatronic system is not just a marriage of electrical and mechanical systems and is more than
just a control system; it is a complete integration of all of them.
Finally, from the Internet’s free encyclopedia, Wikipedia, we find the description that [7]
Mechatronics is centered on mechanics, electronics and computing which, combined, make possible
the generation of simpler, more economical, reliable and versatile systems.
These definitions and descriptions of mechatronics are accurate and informative, yet each one in and of
itself fails to capture the totality of mechatronics. Despite continuing efforts to define mechatronics, to
classify mechatronic products, and to develop a standard mechatronics curriculum, a consensus opinion
on an all-encompassing description of “what is mechatronics” eludes us. This lack of consensus is a
healthy sign. It says that the field is alive, and that it is a youthful subject. Even without an unarguably
definitive description of mechatronics, engineers understand from the definitions given above and from

their own personal experiences the essence of the philosophy of mechatronics.
For many practicing engineers on the front line of engineering design, mechatronics is nothing new.
Many engineering products of the past 30 years integrated mechanical, electrical, and computer systems,
yet were designed by engineers that were never formally trained in mechatronics per se. It appears that
modern concurrent engineering design practices, now formally viewed as part of the mechatronics
specialty, are natural design processes. What is evident is that the study of mechatronics provides a
mechanism for scholars interested in understanding and explaining the engineering design process to
define, classify, organize, and integrate the many aspects of product design into a coherent package. As
the historical divisions between mechanical, electrical, aerospace, chemical, civil, and computer engineering become less clearly defined, we should take comfort in the existence of mechatronics as a field
of study in academia. The mechatronics specialty provides an educational path, that is, a roadmap, for
engineering students studying within the traditional structure of most engineering colleges. Mechatronics
is recognized worldwide as a vibrant area of study. Undergraduate and graduate programs in mechatronic
engineering are offered in many universities. Refereed journals are being published and dedicated conferences are being organized and are well attended.
Mechatronics is not just a convenient structure for investigative studies by academicians; it is a way
of life in modern engineering practice. The introduction of the microprocessor in the early 1980s and
the growing desired performance to cost ratio revolutionized the paradigm of engineering design. The
number of new products developed at the intersection of traditional disciplines of engineering, computer
science, and the natural sciences is rising. New developments in these traditional disciplines are being
absorbed into mechatronics design at an ever-increasing pace. The ongoing information technology
revolution, advances in wireless communication, smart sensors design (enabled by microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] technology), and embedded systems engineering ensures that the engineering design
paradigm will continue to evolve.

1.2

Key Elements of Mechatronics

The study of mechatronic systems can be divided into five areas of specialty:
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

Physical systems modeling
Sensors and actuators
Signals and systems
Computers and logic systems
Software and data acquisition