Mechatronics

Mechatronics is the integration of electronic, mechanical, and control engineering to design simpler and more reliable products. Tetsuro Mori, a senior engineer at the Japanese company Yasakawa, coined the term in 1969. Since then, developments in semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), sensor/actuator technologies, signal processing, embedded computer & logic systems, and software & data acquisition have expanded the scope of mechatronics to include simple products, such as home appliances, laser printers, and other consumer electronic products, as well as complex products like CNC machines, mobile robots, anti-lock braking systems, industrial 3D printers, and Internet of Things systems and products. This learning module is an introduction to mechatronics, including its processes, systems, components, and applications.