I once knew a dogbert, i will not name him. Yet his words resonated as true again and again. Once when someone asked him .. "Where the highest value can be created, in an engineered product?". He reveled a profound secret, that is only discussed in whispers in the backrooms of high-tech upstarts. I will attempt to phrase it in a more concise manner.
"When the raw materials transform into an Engineered product, the highest engineering value is both in the manufacturing process machinery and the manufactured product; If and only if, that product has mechanical, electrical, electronic and computing elements in its composition." - This was Mechatronics?
In essence it appeared to be a CNC machine, but not exactly, CNC too and much more. Robotics is a pinnacle of this collage. Then an Intelligent Embedded Control System with sensors, switches, tachos, drives and motor a part of Mechatronics. Looks like control engineering, a sub-section of mechatronics too. Control engineering is also an independent science. Can't leave out Intelligent machinery and Complex Gadgets.
Without chemical, component and materials engineering all the above cannot materialize. They create the inputs and technologies to the systems above.
Finally two examples for Mechatronic Marvels - One the Lone Martian called Rover (like Wall-E) and the Ultra Busy HardDisk HDD in your own Computer.
>
Related Sciences
Systems Engineering - Managing and Integrating a Large Engineered System Solution. Includes Process, Project, Time, Work-flow, Co-ordination and Communication. (Means .. many Crimson Ties and a lot of Meetings ;-)
Mems - Micro, Electronic/Electrical, Mechanical Systems.
Start Reading in detail about it, but never skip Lunch. -
