1. Mechatronics in the education Challenges of the modern developments in education and industry
Lubomir DIMITROV, Prof., PhD
Dean of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Technical University of Sofia
Bulgaria
Technical university - Sofia

2. Mechatronics in the education Challenges of the modern developments in education and industry
Brief history
How do we understand it
Demand of Mechatronics engineers in modern industry
Trends in education
How to respond to the new trends in industry
Technical university - Sofia

3. Brief history
The term “mechatronics” was first introduced in Japan in 1969 to describe the integration of mechanics and electronics.
Technical university - Sofia

4. Kevin Craig
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering and Mechanics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
Balance between modeling/analysis skills and hardware implementation skills
Mechanical engineers to be proficient in control design
Use of Mathematics
Lab exercises, team work to develop and present a mechatronic system
"Mechatronics does not change the design process. It gives the engineer greater knowledge, so the concepts that are developed are better, and communication with other engineering disciplines is improved. The result is a highly balanced design."
Technical university - Sofia

5. Andrew B. Wright Department of Applied Science,
University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, USA
Teach mechanical design to the system-engineering students
Free-form design project resulting with a prototype concerning its budgeting
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6. Jan Wikander Mechatronics Lab, Department of Machine Design,
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Shift from mechanical hardware to computer software
Greater integration than the older subsystem-based approach of designing
Interdisciplinary courses integrated in an existing program of mechanical engineering
Design process, problem-based learning, team organization
Technical university - Sofia

7. Roland Siegwart Institut de Systémes Robotiques,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
”Smart Product Design”
Bonding the interdisciplinary knowledge
Team projects for mobile robots participating in a contest in the end
Technical university - Sofia

8. Masayoshi Tomizuka Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
Integration
Teamwork
IT tools incorporated in education
“Mechatronics may be interpreted as the best practice for the synthesis of engineering systems”
Technical university - Sofia

9. Victor Giurgiutiu
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA
Intertwined blend of mechanisms, sensors, actuators, electronics, and information technology
The ideal graduate should be able to hit the ground running in all these areas concurrently in order to achieve maximum performance with minimum training/adaptation time
Technical university - Sofia

10. Van Brussel
A famous robotic researcher, supporter of interdisciplinary mechatronic education
"In the past, machine and product design has, almost exclusively, been the preoccupation of mechanical engineers. Solutions to control and programming problems were added by control and software engineers, after the machine had been designed by mechanical engineers. This sequential-engineering approach usually resulted in suboptimal designs. Recently, machine design has been profoundly influenced by the evolution of microelectronics, control engineering, and computer science. What is needed, as a solid basis for designing high-performance machines, is a synergistic cross-fertilization between the different engineering disciplines. This is exactly what mechatronics is aiming at: it is a concurrent-engineering view of machine design"
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11. How do we understand the term “Mechatronics”
Technical university - Sofia

12. How do we understand the term “Mechatronics”
Information
Technologies
Technical university - Sofia

13. How do we understand the term “Mechatronics”
Design – CAD/CAM/CAE
Information
Technologies
Production – ERP (CAM,PDM,CIM…)
Planning – PLM
………….
Technical university - Sofia

14. Virtual factory
The vision of Virtual Manufacturing is to provide a capability to "Manufacture in the Computer". In essence, VM ultimately provides a modeling and simulation environment so powerful that the fabrication/assembly of any product, including the associated manufacturing processes, can be simulated in the computer. This powerful capability would take into account all of the variables in the production environment from shop floor processes to enterprise transactions. In other words, VM will accommodate the visualization of interacting production processes, process planning, scheduling, assembly planning, logistics from the line to the enterprise, and related impacting processes such as accounting, purchasing and management.
Technical university - Sofia

15. Summary of demands for the specialist in Mechatronics
Main Demands
Complex knowledge and skills in the area of information technologies, electronics, control systems, computer systems and mechanical engineering
Deep Integrated approach during all stages of design, development, production and repair, support of the products and processes (PLM)
Interdisciplinary engineering education
Knowledge and skills
Design
Production
Repair and support
Interdisciplinary materials
System design
Microprocessors technology
Digital communications and electronics; knowledge of different interfaces
Software design
Control systems – PLC, Networking and Automation protocols
Technical university - Sofia

16. Mechatronics Engineering: The Need in Industry
The USA National Science Board (NSB) publishes Science and Engineering Indicators for the U.S. every two years. The NSB observed alarming trends in the data published in Indicators 2010: “we have observed a troubling decline in the number of U.S. citizens who are training to become scientists and engineers, whereas the number of jobs requiring science and engineering (S&E) training continues to grow.”
National Science Board, “An Emerging and Critical Problem of the Science and Engineering Labor Force”, A Companion to Science and Engineering Indicators 2010, January 2010.
Technical university - Sofia

17. Mechatronics Engineering: The Need in Industry
The USA National Science Board (NSB) publishes Science and Engineering Indicators for the U.S. every two years. The NSB observed alarming trends in the data published in Indicators 2010: “we have observed a troubling decline in the number of U.S. citizens who are training to become scientists and engineers, whereas the number of jobs requiring science and engineering (S&E) training continues to grow.”
Industry needs more Mechatronics engineers. The NSB report estimates the number of U.S. jobs requiring S&E skills is growing about 5% per year, compared to a 1% growth for the rest of the labor force.
Industry needs good Mechatronics engineers. Not the best high school students go to Science and Engineering Universities!!!!
National Science Board, “An Emerging and Critical Problem of the Science and Engineering Labor Force”, A Companion to Science and Engineering Indicators 2010, January 2010.
Technical university - Sofia

18. Trends in education Degree levels Bachelor degree Master degree
Philosophy doctor
Post-doctoral study
Technical university - Sofia

19. Trends in education Science – Applied Science Degree levels
Bachelor degree
Master degree
Philosophy doctor
Post-doctoral study
Science – Applied Science
Technical university - Sofia

20. Curriculum Design Model
Mechatronics
Engineering Curriculum
Accreditation criteria
Design concepts
Goals, objectives, Learning Experiences,
Evaluation
VDI-2206
Guideline for Mechatronic system
Technical university - Sofia

21. Technical university - Sofia

22. Curriculum Design Model
Basic Science module – approx. 20%
2. Mechanical and Measurement Engineering module – approx. 20%
3. Electrical and Electronical Engineering module – approx. 20%
4. Information Technology and Computer Science module – approx. 25% (more that 50%)
5. Control Engineering module – approx. 10%
6. Humanities and Management module – approx. 5%
Technical university - Sofia

23. Specific Topics • modeling and design • motion control
• system integration
• vibration and noise control
• actuators and sensors
• micro devices and optoelectronic systems
• intelligent control
• automotive systems
• robotics
• manufacturing
Technical university - Sofia

24. What to do together industry and education?
In education – it follows the industry demands:
Project-oriented new courses and programs with:
more practical work in class and in enterprises.
emphasis on team working
competitive approach in pursuing project tasks
Design of new laboratories equipped by industry and according to their needs.
Industry in help of education
Offer more training
Organize design workshops and factories.
Organize competitions
Offer scholarships and grants for prosperous students
Offer better payment for young specialists
Joint research projects with universities
Technical university - Sofia

25. Conclusions
Mechatronics with its complexities and rapid development, is one of the most challenging course in university education. With appropriate strategy, excellent result could be achieved, but not with the traditional way of education.
One of the most difficult tasks is to stimulate university bodies to overcome existing organizational barriers and to begin development of co – operative teams from specialist in different field, for education in Mechatronic. This could be achieved by participating in projects with close connection to the industry.
Number of universities and programs for education in Mechatronics is growing very fast. One of the best way to have a competitive education is the integration. Universities have to offer double degree programs which will attract more students all over the world.
We all need international cooperation!
Technical university - Sofia

26. Going on international projects in Mechatronics at the TU-Sofia
Tempus IV JPCR Development of Regional Interdisciplinary Mechatronic Studies (DRIMS) (Germany, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo)
CEEPUS Network CIII-HU Development of Mechatronical Engineering as an Essential Base for Progress in the Area of Companies – Research, Preparation, and Implementation of Joint Programs of Study
TEMPUS IV Project: Double Degree Master Program in Automation/Mechatronics – MPAM.
Technical university - Sofia

29. Thank you for your attention!!!
Technical university - Sofia