Definition of Mechatronics

Mechatronics has many definitions. Most of the definitions are connected with used technology and their interconnections.

In early spring of the year 2000 project team have had meeting in Almelo, the Netherlands. Before the meeting have started project team visited Festo office in Delft and had meeting with managing director Dr. Jan A. Berendse (in the center of the first row). He tried to explain what does mechatronics means in general and for Festo in particular.

In general Dr. Berendse stressed that mostly the word Mechatronics has two parts - "Mecha" and "Tronics". The first mostly belongs to mechanical engineering the second to the technologies that drive the first one. We discussed many other issues and have agreed that the technological aspect is not enough for the definition there should be added people - team - who have developed the systems and all technological things. Therefore in this page i would like to suggest to summarise many existing definitions of mechatronics and make one that would reflect many different aspects and yet remain laconic:

Mechatronics is Knowledge Driven Motion

Where knowledge could be understood as peoples' knowledge and the knowledge poured to the more technical thing like electronics and software. The word motion acctually reflects everything that moves and can be driven. So having all this in mind the above definition have crystalized. You are free to discuss this on our discussion board.

Mindaugas Rackaitis