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MECHATRONICS
The most important feature of mechatronic devices is the ability to process and communicate information
accurately in form of different types of signals (mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, optical, chemical
biological), with high level of automation of these devices.
Big Data Analytics and IoT’s impact
on Mechatronics
Rajesh Angadi
rajesh_angadi@hotmail.com
Mechatronics is a synergistic
combination of precision
engineering, electronic control
and mechanicalsystems. It is
the science that exists at the
interface among the other five
disciplines:
1) Mechanics
2) Electronics
3) informatics
4) Automation
5) Robotics
It is one of the most
dynamically developing fields
of technology and science. The
word ‘mechatronics’ appeared
for the first time in Japan in
1969.
Mechatronics relates to
Mechanics + Electronics +
Computing Engineering.
Mechatronics - the genesis
The term mechatronics was
introduced to the technical
terminology by the Japanese
company Yaskawa Elektric
Corporation (a company
founded in 1915), since 1971 it
has been protected as a trade
name. Mechatronics, in the
initial period, was understood
to be applicable in the design
and construction activities
involving the inclusion of
electronic components and
systems to the functional
structure of various precision
mechanisms. In 1982, Yaskawa
Elektric Co. resigned from
the patent protection of its
trademark and from now on
we can all use this term.
Today it means mechatronics
engineering activities
including designing, testing
and operation of machinery
and equipment, in which
there is a high level of
functional integration of
mechanical systems with
electronics and computer
control. Mechatronics is
an interdisciplinary field,
combining in a synergistic
manner, the classical
knowledge of mechanical
engineering, hydraulics,
pneumatics, electronics,
optics and computer science.
The aim of mechatronics is
to improve the functionality
of technical systems and the
creation of new concepts of
machinery and equipment with
built-in ‘artificial intelligence’.
In various literature sources,
several definitions of
mechatronics can be found,
almost all of them put the
emphasis on the functional
integration of mechanical
actuators with electronics and
computer control.
Mechatronics includes
engineering environment
of automation and robotics,
where the ‘mechanical’ way
of solving the design was not
adequate to the expectations
and opportunities that provide
other areas of technology,
particularly electronics,
optoelectronics, materials
engineering, especially
computer science engineering.
Mechatronics engineering
may be regarded as a modern
approach to automation
techniques for the broadly
defined needs of engineering
and education. It can be
assumed that mechatronics
is an interdisciplinary field
of science and technology,
dealing with general problems
of mechanics, electronics
and informatics. However,
it contains too many related
mechatronic areas that
form the foundation of
mechatronics and cover many
well-known disciplines such as
electrical engineering, power
electronics, digital technology,
microprocessor technology,
and other techniques.
Mechatronics engineering
provides an opportunity,
not only for humanization of
machines, but also changes
the mindset and the approach
to technological issues and
most importantly teachesnew
technologies and ways of
acquiring knowledge and skills.
The most important feature
of mechatronic devices is
the ability to process and
communicate information
accurately in form of different
types of signals (mechanical,
electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic,
optical, chemical, biological),
with high level of automation
of these devices. The basic
assumption for the design
of mechatronic devices is
the acquisition by the device
itself which is responsible
for the lower levels of the
process (task) to allow the
user to focus on higher-order
functions. Mechatronic device
structure can be considered
at two levels: abstract,
consisting of the conjunction
of partial functions of the
main function device and the
specific plane, consisting of the
combined structural parts and
assemblies, which are natural
carriers of various functions
involved. The integration of
mechatronic device structure is
a result of links among ‘smart’
teams which communicate
and cooperate. The linking
mechanical structure, sensors,
actuators and information
processing occur as a result
of mass flow of streams, of
energy and information.
Why does company need
Mechatronics?
As companies expand, their
respective engineering
disciplines find it increasingly
tough to coordinate and
work in perfect tandem.
For instance, in the case
of any malfunctioning or
technical issue, the electrical
engineer, the mechanical
engineer and the software
specialist at the company
keep passing on the blame
and shifting accountability.
The answer to this problem
is the cross-disciplinary
approach of mechatronics,
which integrates the work of
these engineers and facilitates
technological innovation. The
use of mechatronics maximizes
throughput, reduces lead
time, eliminates set up time,
enables addition of features
and enhances productivity.
Leveraging on its increasing
relevance, mechatronic
engineering finds application
across a number of industries
such as aerospace, automotive,
chemical processing,
health care, manufacturing
and mining. A number of
automotive companies in
India are using such integrated
manufacturing techniques
to enhance production.
For instance, a German
automobile MNC plant near
Pune extensively uses robots
and conveyor belts to increase
the effectiveness of routine
tasks such as the testing of
car frames and component
dimensions.
The Indian Government is
inviting private participation for
developing smart cities using
advanced technologies such
as mechatronics. It targets
creating 100 smart cities, as
a part of the Budget 2014.
However, systems integration
comes with its own unique
set of challenges. Companies
planning to adopt this practice
need to make a high upfront
investment and ensure
significant power availability.
In addition, the methods may
not always be economically
justifiable for small-scale
production. Companies will
be required to adopt some
best practices to extract the
maximum value from their
mechatronics investment.
- microelectronics
- measurment
technology
- sensor technology
- measuring systems
- systems theory
- Informatization
engineering
- programming
- artical intelligence
- mechanical engineering
- precision mechanics
- technical mechanics
- drive technology
Electronics Informatics
Mechanics
Mechatronics

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Modeling Mechatronics
Companies are required to
“model” mechatronics as a
robust process, rather than
considering it just a form
of any other engineering.
This will require the use of
uniform terminology; graphical
representation of product
structures and architecture;
standardized product
documentations; identification
of interdependencies
among functions; effective
collaboration; and pre-
emption of resolutions to
design issues. To make all of
this possible, management
will need to connect the
ultimate project manager to
the assembly through line
design connecting mechanical,
process technology, hardware,
software and usability systems.
Companies are recommended
to use model-based system
engineering (MBSE), which
is a digital model for system
engineering. It is based on
software tools and modeling
languages such as METUS and
SysML. The model defines
correlations among system
requirements, functions and
structure. It thus facilitates the
sharing of all cross-disciplinary
information among various
engineering disciplines in a
convenient manner. A leading
machinery and equipment
building company recently
shifted to this model from
its traditional sequential
approach.
Creating integrated teams and
managing knowledge
The implementation of
mechatronics solutions
requires strong integration
among the mechanical,
electronic and software
engineering teams that are
working toward a common
goal. This requires better
coordination between specific-
discipline teams through
effective communication
and clear ownership. More
often than not, they bring
with them natural silos of
knowledge that they must
overcome, in order to work
together. In addition, it is a
good practice for companies
to have in place a clear dispute
settlement mechanism to
help them reach a middle
ground. It is very important
to define mechatronic system
boundaries and establish
clarity on the desired end
objective. For instance, the
scope for designing and
producing smartphones will
be considerably different
from that ofcreating an
infotainment system in an
automobile. While setting
the scope, companies also
need to incorporate market
intelligence and any previous
feedback from customers.
Once the scope is set and the
boundaries are defined, all
of the involved teams should
ideally set regular touch
points to develop a common
understanding and foster
collaboration at all stages. One
key factor for guaranteeing
the success of mechatronics
solutions is having system
engineers understand what the
customer wants and how his
or her requirement fits into the
overall product design. Teams
are required to be trained to
understand how changes in the
final product affect customer
usage.
Managing iterations
One major limitation of systems
engineering is the excessive
debug iterations required for
its verification. These debug
cycles extend development
times and push out schedules,
having huge cost and time
implications. This is because,
end user requirements cannot
be completely known and
frozen early on in the process
and they evolve additionaltime.
As a result, the product
often fails to meetcustomer
expectations. Companies are,
therefore, advised to have
numerous checks in place with
end users to ensure that that
product is being developed
as per their expectations.
Rising customer expectation,
increasing competition and
escalating cost pressures are
compelling companies to look
for better ways of creating
There are two important features about Internet of
Things (IoT’s): mobility & connectivity and the main
purpose being to collect live information from
anywhere at any time.

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more appealing “intelligent”
products
Impact of Big Data Analytics
and IoT’s on Mechatronics
Today’s competitive
manufacturer knows that
looking at individual features
and functionality is no longer
enough. We also need to
focus on experience as well as
product benefits. Focusing on
experience, we would need to
know what customers want
to feel, to touch and to see,
and how all of these affect
their actions and emotions.
To stay competitive, we
would also need to use big
data to discover customers’
preferences, even the ones
that were not available before.
Then we would need to be
able to translate these insights,
experiences, and preferences
into product attributes, such as
energy consumption, usability,
capacity and performance.
Once we know what attributes
we would want your smart
Mechatronics appliance to
have, we should be able
to communicate these
specifications to design
teams simultaneously and
automatically. This would
mean that all of the different
design teams for software,
mechanical design, electronics
and other areas would get the
attributes that we need and
want at the same time.
We should be able to make
trade-off decisions on how our
design would be met by each
of these design teams. This
way, we can transition into a
more competitive and high
tech manufacturing company
by helping to define processes
using established systems’
engineering principles.
Internet of Things (IoT’s)
There are two important
features about these products:
mobility & connectivity. Its
main purpose is to collect live
information from anywhere at
any time. This leads us to the
second important element of
IoT – data. When we have one
device collecting information,
the outcome of that process is
called data. But when we have
billions of connected devices
that are collecting all different
types of information for us,
then it will become Big Data.
In my opinion, Big Data is the
derived content of IoT. Its
purpose is to be analyzed in
order to better understand
the behaviors of systems or
consumers. Once companies
can identify the patterns and
interrelations among different
behaviors, which seem to be
random or disordered, they can
anticipate events or activities
that will occur in the near
future and build an offer to
bring additional value to users.
The best way to deliver such
additional value is through
services. Service is the third
important element of IoT. It is
also the most profitable and
valuable part of the entire IoT
value chain.
If product and data are about
creating needs, services are
usually designed to be the
exact solution to satisfy those
needs.
The good news is that we can
take charge of mechatronic
product development by
using better processes and
using technology to provide
integration, traceability and
visibility platforms.
How to achieve successful
Mechatronics Product
Development
1) Set the goal and make sure
that everybody is aware of
what these goals are, so that
they all work towards it. To
be effective in setting goals,
we should consider what are
needed to achieve that goal.
2) What we need is a way to
consolidate the requirements,
that are drilled down to
actionable details. These
requirements need to be
version-controlled so that it
could go through the entire
product life-cycle, and become
guideline for the product’s
design and used for product
validation.
3) Regarding Mechatronics
requirements, we need to
come up with a conceptual
design. Getting the conceptual
design right would help us to
avoid expensive reworks and
redesigns.
4) We need to validate our
product with respect to
functionality.
5) Design by discipline- If we
have products’ requirements,
we can have different parts
of the product designed
simultaneously. The challenge
at this stage is that different
disciplines usually mean
different tools and different
design lifecycles. However,
parallel design efforts can help
us to cut the ‘time to market’.
6) Revise when necessary.
Always address errors and bugs
in a timely manner, so that we
can manage these changes as
well.
All of these steps in a
mechatronics collaboration
platform can help us to make
our smart products even more
competitive.
References -
1) Mechanical + Electronic +
Computing= Why does your
company need Mechatronics-
Advisory India Blog from EY
2) Google - material on
Mechatronics.
The author Rajesh Angadi
completed his BE, MBA, PMP
and is Hadoop Certified.
With 22 years of Information
Technology experience he
worked on projects for Unisys,
Intel, Satyam, Microsoft,
Ford, Hartford, Compaq,
and Princeton. He is always
fascinated by the latest
technology coming up in the IT
sector and striving to keep pace
with it. Interests in Information
Technologies research areas like
Hadoop Ecosystem, Predictive
Analysis, Telematics, Clinical
research with Analysis.
The Indian Government is inviting private participation for
developing smart cities using advanced technologies such as
mechatronics. It targets creating 100 smart cities, as a part of
the Budget 2014