Robotics and Mechatronics

Robotics and Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary field that represents the synergistic integration of mechanical engineering with electronics, computer science, and control theory. This discipline focuses on the design, construction, and operation of "smart" products and automated systems, from consumer electronics and medical devices to autonomous vehicles and industrial robots. At its core, it involves the seamless combination of mechanical structures with sensors for perception, actuators for motion, and intelligent controllers to process information and execute tasks, effectively creating machines that can sense, think, and act in the physical world.

  1. Introduction to Robotics and Mechatronics
    1. Defining Mechatronics
      1. Defining Robotics
        1. Distinctions and Overlaps between Mechatronics and Robotics
          1. Historical Evolution
            1. Early Automata and Mechanisms
              1. Development of Industrial Robots
                1. Emergence of Mechatronics as a Discipline
                2. Key Disciplines in Mechatronics and Robotics
                  1. Mechanical Engineering
                    1. Mechanics
                      1. Machine Design
                        1. Materials Science
                        2. Electrical and Electronics Engineering
                          1. Circuit Theory
                            1. Power Electronics
                              1. Embedded Systems
                              2. Computer Science and Engineering
                                1. Algorithms and Programming
                                  1. Artificial Intelligence
                                    1. Computer Vision
                                    2. Control Engineering
                                      1. Feedback Systems
                                        1. Automation
                                      2. The Mechatronic Design Philosophy
                                        1. Interdisciplinary Integration
                                          1. Concurrent Engineering
                                            1. Lifecycle Considerations
                                            2. System-Level Thinking
                                              1. System Modeling and Abstraction
                                                1. Functional Decomposition
                                                  1. Trade-off Analysis