ABSTRACT

SUMMARY This chapter introduces the subject of mechatronic engineering. It presents the relevance of modeling, design, and instrumentation in the development of a mechatronic system or product. The evolution of the discipline of mechatronics from its early days leading to the state of the art at present is outlined. Several application areas are given. The concepts of mechatronic design quotient (MDQ) and design evolution through modeling, health monitoring, design expert system, and evolutionary optimization are introduced.