Several decades ago, mechatronics was all about the integration of multiple engineering disciplines, especially in the mechanical and electrical engineering domains. Rather than working in separate silos, these disciplines would try to work together to improve the design, integration, testing, manufacturing, and maintenance of the finished system or product.
Today, thanks in considerable measure to the popularity of IoT technologies, these traditional engineering domains have synchronized, making the design process more precise and efficient. Concurrent engineering is more likely to occur early in product development, providing benefits throughout the entire engineering product life cycle.
Mechatronics has become the synchronized combination of mechanical engineering, electronic control, and systems thinking in the design phase of products and manufacturing processes. This closer alignment has benefited all types of mechatronic machines, especially when enhanced mechanical components are combined with advances in smart motor technologies, e.g., brush and brushless (BL) dc motors, gearheads, sensors, and controllers. When done right, the result is a high-performance compact design.