Introduction | p. 1 |
Background | p. 1 |
What is Mechatronics? | p. 1 |
Mechatronics and Design Innovation | p. 4 |
Mechatronics and Manufacturing | p. 5 |
Mechatronics and Education | p. 7 |
Mechatronics and a Sustainable Future | p. 9 |
Sustainability | p. 9 |
Mechatronics and Sustainability | p. 11 |
The Book | p. 13 |
References | p. 14 |
Consumption to Contribution: Sustainable Technological Development Through Innovation | p. 19 |
Introduction | p. 19 |
The Interpretation of Meaning for Sustainability and Innovation | p. 20 |
Desconstructing Technological Innovation as a Driving Force for Sustainable Engineered Systems | p. 21 |
Forecasting, Foresight and Technology Assesment | p. 23 |
The Influence and Impact of Information and Communication Technologies | p. 24 |
Consumption, Obsolescence and Moves Towards Future Proofing | p. 26 |
Complexity Paradigms within a Sustainability Context | p. 28 |
Rationalising Material Selection and Processing | p. 29 |
Conclusion - From Responsible Design to Resource Recovery | p. 31 |
References | p. 34 |
The "Revolution": a Small Company Revived | p. 43 |
Some History of the UK Industry-Academic Link, the "KTP" | p. 43 |
Some Observations on the Acceptance of Computer-aided Engineering (CAE) in Smaller Companies | p. 44 |
The Ducker Engineering Case Study | p. 45 |
Problem or Opportunity? | p. 45 |
The "Revolution" | p. 49 |
Futher Benefits Demonstrated in the CAE Application | p. 51 |
Conclusions | p. 53 |
References | p. 54 |
A Mechatronic Design Process and its Application | p. 55 |
Introduction to Mechatronic Design | p. 55 |
Mechatronic Design Process Model | p. 55 |
A Mechatronic Case Study | p. 59 |
Mechatronic System Design Problem Description | p. 59 |
Design Concept Development | p. 59 |
Detailed Design | p. 61 |
Electronic Control Unit | p. 67 |
Conclusions | p. 69 |
References | p. 70 |
A Mechatronic Design of a Circular Warp Knitting Machine | p. 71 |
Introduction | p. 71 |
Warp Knitting Cycle | p. 72 |
Circular Warp Knitting Machine Concept | p. 73 |
The Needle Reciprocating Mechanism | p. 75 |
The Patterning Mechanism | p. 75 |
Servo Motor Selection | p. 76 |
The Prototype | p. 78 |
Servo-controlled Needle Motion | p. 79 |
The Yarn Feed Mechanism | p. 80 |
Truncated-cone Optimisation | p. 80 |
Conclusions | p. 80 |
Acknowledgements | p. 81 |
References | p. 81 |
Mechatronics and the Motor Car | p. 83 |
Background | p. 83 |
Vehicle Mechatronic Systems | p. 83 |
Drivers for Change | p. 86 |
Engine Basics | p. 88 |
The Mechanical Solution for Ignition Timing and Fuel Delivery | p. 89 |
Traditional Mechanical Ignition Timing | p. 89 |
Fuel Delivery - the Carburettor | p. 90 |
The Mechatronic Solution to Engine Management | p. 92 |
Sensors | p. 92 |
Actuators | p. 93 |
Processing | p. 94 |
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) | p. 97 |
Background to the Theory of Braking | p. 97 |
ABS Components | p. 99 |
ABS Diagnostics | p. 101 |
Conclusions | p. 101 |
References | p. 101 |
Multi-mode Operations Marine Robotic Vehicle - a Mechatronics Case Study | p. 103 |
Introduction | p. 104 |
MPPT Ring System Overview | p. 105 |
Main Features | p. 105 |
The Virtual Underwater Laboratory | p. 107 |
Architecture and Implementation | p. 108 |
Imaging Sonar Simulator | p. 110 |
Laboratory Configuration | p. 111 |
University of Limerick (UL) Thrusted Pontoon/ROV | p. 112 |
Base Vehicle | p. 112 |
High-resolution Imaging Tool Skid | p. 114 |
Onboard Electronics and Computer Control | p. 114 |
Fault Tolerant Thruster Control | p. 115 |
Autotuning of Low-level Controllers | p. 116 |
High Frequency Sonar Enabling at Seabed Operation | p. 117 |
Interchangeable Inshore and Deep Water Winch System | p. 118 |
System Testing | p. 118 |
Conclusions | p. 118 |
References | p. 119 |
Wireless Communication Technology for Modular Mechatronic Controllers | p. 121 |
Introduction | p. 121 |
Modular Mechatronic Controllers | p. 122 |
Communications Technology | p. 124 |
Model-based Mechatronic Controllers | p. 125 |
Wireless Mechatronic Controller for the Camera Platform | p. 128 |
Requirements for the Wireless Mechatronic Controller | p. 129 |
Modelling of the Camera Platform | p. 130 |
Results | p. 132 |
Performance of the System | p. 133 |
Conclusions | p. 134 |
References | p. 134 |
The Utility Function Method for Behaviour Selection in Autonomous Robots | p. 135 |
Introduction | p. 135 |
Behaviour Selection | p. 136 |
The Concept of Utility | p. 137 |
A Biological Example | p. 139 |
The Utility Function Method | p. 141 |
Motivation | p. 141 |
Method | p. 141 |
Optimisation Procedure | p. 146 |
Application Example - a Transportation Task | p. 151 |
Ongoing Work | p. 154 |
Extended UF Method | p. 154 |
Data Preprocessing and Artificial Emotions | p. 154 |
References | p. 155 |
Force Sensing in Medical Robotics | p. 157 |
Background | p. 157 |
Force Sensing Techniques in Medical Robotics | p. 159 |
The Use of Force Sensing in Medical Robotics | p. 163 |
Haptic Feedback During Robotic Surgery | p. 163 |
Soft Tissue Diagnosis Through Tissue Mechanical Property Identification | p. 164 |
References | p. 171 |
Intelligent Prostheses - a Biomechatronics Approach | p. 173 |
Introduction | p. 173 |
Biomechatronics and Biological Systems | p. 174 |
Biomechatronics | p. 174 |
The Human Body | p. 175 |
Prosthetics | p. 175 |
Human Locomotion | p. 177 |
Current Prosthetics | p. 179 |
Future Prosthetics | p. 191 |
Conclusions | p. 193 |
References | p. 193 |
Education in Mechatronics | p. 197 |
Introduction and Background | p. 197 |
The Development of the Master of Science in Mechatronics Systems Engineering at Lawrence Technological University | p. 203 |
Rational for Course Development | p. 203 |
Programme Structure and Implementation | p. 206 |
Summary | p. 216 |
References | p. 217 |
Mechatronics Education | p. 219 |
Introduction | p. 219 |
Historical Context | p. 220 |
Curriculum | p. 222 |
Mechatronic Designer Programme | p. 223 |
BSc Curriculum | p. 224 |
MSc Curriculum | p. 228 |
Modelling of Mechatronic Systems | p. 229 |
Conclusions | p. 231 |
References | p. 232 |
A Personal View of the Early Days of Mechatronics in Relation to Aerospace | p. 235 |
Mechatronic Futures | p. 241 |
Introduction | p. 241 |
Challenges | p. 242 |
Home Based Technologies | p. 243 |
Medicine and eHealth | p. 244 |
Transportation | p. 245 |
Manufacturing, Automation and Robotics | p. 246 |
Communications | p. 247 |
Nanotechnologies | p. 247 |
Advanced Algorithms | p. 248 |
Artificial Intelligence | p. 248 |
Conclusions | p. 249 |
References | p. 249 |
Authors | p. 251 |
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