SKEDSOFT

Key Elements of Mechatronics

The study of mechatronic systems can be divided into the following areas of specialty:

1.       Physical Systems Modeling

2.       Sensors and Actuators

3.       Signals and Systems

4.       Computers and Logic Systems

5.       Software and Data Acquisition

The key elements of mechatronics are illustrated. As the field of mechatronics continues to mature, the list of relevant topics associated with the area will most certainly expand and evolve.

Historical Perspective

Attempts to construct automated mechanical systems have 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.

For example, early applications of automatic control