Mechatronics was first called in 1970’s, and it started to be popular in 1990’s. Mechatronics word becomes of “mechanics” and “electronics” words, and of course it is a new discipline which is based on mechanics, computer and control technologies [1].
Mechatronics is a synergic combination of sensitive mechanical engineering, electronic control, and system engineering in product and process designing [2]. System integration and design, power electronics, control of movement and noise, automotive manufacturing application, automation, and especially robotic applications, textile, optoelectronics systems, hydraulics – pneumatics systems, and many other system are in the application area of Mechatronics . Today we use biyomechatronics , agricultural mechatronics , consumer mechatronics etc. derived from Mechatronics [3]. According to another description, Mechatronisc is an approach which provides an operational combination with mechanics, electronics, and information technology or an application of micro electronics and with mechanical engineering [4].
With the descriptions above, we can say that Mechatronics can be defined as a interdisciplinary engineering philosophy as using firstly machinery, electrical-electronics, and computer science in a collective standpoint for customer needs. In this new engineering philosophy, various sciences are used together for just one target. In the descriptions about Mechatronics , we see that Mechatronics is a common area that many sciences meet and the big portion is robotics.
It is seen that Mechatronics is based on automation technology when looked at its historical development. In simple terms, automation can be explained as various mechanism and intelligent systems which take the place of human power. With machine tools get in our life in 1950’s, the automation word had the meaning what we understand today. Developments at semiconductor technology in the end of 1960’s, and microchip computers that get place in our life, evolution of CNC machines, and of course robots and robots ‘networks which came up in 1970’s elicited that Mechatronics get place in automation technologies. Today, it firstly refers to Mechatronics systems when automation word is used, and the need of qualified person in this area is getting bigger fastly. Research area of Mechatronics is very comprehensive that it includes automotive industry, material machining, defense industry, medical, aerospace systems etc [1].
References
[1] Gören, A. & Başer, Ö., “İdeal Mekatronik Mühendisliği Eğitimi ve Hidrolik-Pnömatik”, V.Ulusal Hidrolik Pnömatik Kongresi.
[2] Bradley, Dawson et. Al., “Mechatronics , Electronics in Products and Processes”, Chapman and
Hall Verlag, London 1991.
[3] Fukuda T. & Hasegawa Y., “Mechatronics , today and tomorrow”, Mechatronics 2004 9th
Mechatronics Forum International Conference, August 2004.
[4] Çeltekligil U., ”Elektrik mühendisliği lisans öğretiminde branşlaşma - endüstriyel otomasyon”
http://egitim.emo.org.tr/bildiriler/bildiri_49.doc, 2003
[5] Craig, K., “Is anything really new in Mechatronics education?”, IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, s. 12-19, Haziran 2001.