Engineering is the intersection of science and humanity. Da Vinci, Newton, Einstein, Tesla, Ben Franklin, and Steve Jobs where as much humanists as they were scientists. They sought to unlock the secrets of the universe – its elegant and mathematical underpinnings – but also cared deeply how their discoveries would affect mankind. It is one thing to discover atomic fusion, electricity, or the iPhone, but it is at least is important to consider how the adoption of these advances into society will alter its course.
Many of the world’s most intractable and urgent problems can be thought of as engineering problems. An engineer is an expert in meticulously deconstructing a problem, understanding the interconnected facets of a system, leveraging available resources, overcoming impediments, creatively designing and assessing strategies, and carefully implementing solutions. In short, engineers are problem solvers. And the world needs more of them.
Mechatronics represents a new and exciting chapter in the history of engineering. While engineers have been around for thousands of years, the increasing ubiquity of small, inexpensive, and powerful computers is radically changing how engineering is done. Now, not only can engineers design and build fantastic machines, but those machines can sense and interact with their environment. Today, machines can connect to the internet, communicate with other machines, and they can even learn. That confluence — machine and electronics — is Mechatronics.
From “Charlottesville High School Mechatronics 1 Syllabus” by Dr. Matthew Shields
