ABSTRACT
The role of measurement is to provide information on system status which, in a mechatronic system, is used to control the operation of the system. In any measurement system, sensors and transducers are used to provide information about system conditions. The development of thin and thick film technologies has resulted in the production of a range of largely silicon based transducers for a wide selection of physical properties. Fundamental to optical sensing technology are developments in lasers, photodetectors, fibre optics, optical materials and signal processing, the combination of which has resulted in the provision of optical transducers for measurement applications ranging from distance to strain. Measurements using ultrasound rely on the Doppler Effect or the reflection, absorption or scattering of a pulse of ultrasound to generate the required information, often after significant signal processing. Mechatronics implies an information based approach to engineering design, with measurement systems forming one element within the design concept.
