Regardless of the degree name, the multidisciplinary person will be more useful than the specialist in many areas. It's similar to job descriptions. There are several main jobs listed, but they always seem to end with the phrase "other duties as assigned." Starting from the basics and moving toward the specifics is a proven methodology. As when building a house, the general contractor is running the show. There may be specialists to dig foundations, lay block, pour concrete, frame, glaze, finish sheetrock, install plumbing, run wiring, and shingle the roof, but the general ties it all together.
I think even if universities and colleges don't formally label a program as a mechatronics degree, you're going to see a lot more university curriculum reflect the new (and not so new) reality of what Alex has aptly labeled "an interdisciplinary world."
I'm down with this idea, Jon. As I noted in "Are You an Interdisciplinary Engineer?," narrow specialists are on the wane. They're being replaced by generalist engineers who can work comfortably across the boundaries of hardware, software, and embedded. The rise of a Mechantronics degree reflects this reality.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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