Jun 18 2008 2:14AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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1 robotic arm + 5 DSP boards + 1 ARM-based microcontroller = a robust research platform

I am currently working as an intern in Germany at Kaiserslautern Technical University (Technische Universität Kaiserslautern). I'm helping to develop control algorithms for a robotic arm in the Institute of Control Systems (Lehrstuhl für Regelungssysteme).

The robotic arm I'm working with is a Kantana robotic arm made by ...Read More

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Apr 27 2008 6:56PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |
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There is no doubt about it: Robots are destined for use on the battlefield.

Researchers are trying to find the best mechatronic device to fight, investigate, cover rough terrain, survive explosions, and a myriad of other possibilities.  Who is to stimulate this research?  For the development of military robots and drones, the government funds many public and private companies.  One of the major backers for military research and particularly military robotic research is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).  A different approach to stimulating robotic development is the private Google Lunar X PRIZE aiming to stimulate private space research (I discussed this in a prev...Read More

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Apr 2 2008 10:50AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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Ask 100 people, "What do engineers do?"

Many people may say building bridges, designing roads, etc. and continue to describe a civil engineer. Obviously this is a misnomer, but where does this come from?

A national poll done by Harris Interactive ranked the prestige of various careers most recently last August 2007. Firefighters and scientists took the top two spots and engineers ranked tenth, above eleventh-ranked Members of Congress but below ninth-ranked farmers. Scientists are arguably engineers and engineers are arguably scientists, yet why are engineers not as well-regarded as scientists?

When I was in elementary school and an adult would ask me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I would say I wanted to be a scientist, becau...Read More

Mar 5 2008 11:06AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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Will universities become the platform for space research and exploration? Private companies? Or will NASA remain top dog?  Will the Google Lunar X PRIZE change space exploration?

A robot is the iconic mechatronic system, and in my mind, a rocket, lander and rover destined for the moon are the ultimate mechatronic system. The craft would involve every facet of engineering, including particularly controls, fluids, thermodynamics, physics, mechanics, electronics, computers, communications, and of course trying to make everything work together — systems engineering and mechatronics.  What a better place to find experts in all these varied fields than at the engineering department of a university?

...Read More

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Feb 21 2008 1:02AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (2) |
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The Aberdeen Group's January 2008 benchmark report titled "System Design: New Product Development for Mechatronics" cites that the top challenge for companies' mechatronic product development is the "difficulty finding and hiring experience system engineers / lack of cross-functional knowledge."  Do we need more systems engineers?  Do more engineering schools need to offer mechatronics degrees?

The report states that systems engineering degrees are not widespread and therefore there are few systems engineers available.  The report continues to say that systems engineers often obtain their knowledge through years of experience.  This is where I begin to disagree.

...Read More