Mechatronics aids in embedded system design

By looking at embedded systems from a different perspective, a mechatronics perspective, systems can be improved while saving cost.

Doug Harriman, Simplexity, Dec. 15, 2016 – Over the last few years, a lot has been written about the future of computing as centered around "big data" algorithms running on servers in data centers. However, embedded systems are also becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday lives. Yet the skills needed to design and develop robust and stable embedded systems are quite different than those needed for the latest cloud infrastructure products. Similarly, the field of mechatronics is not all about industrial automation, and the skills needed to develop devices with deeply integrated mechatronics differ from those required to integrate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) motion components into an industrial machine.

One of the hottest features of today's consumer products is wireless connectivity, as demonstrated by the explosion of interest in the Internet of Things (IoT). Connectivity requires embedded computation which enables an always increasing product feature set. The first generation of connected IoT products has mostly led to connected sensors and remote displays. However, consumers are no longer satisfied with the limited interaction with the physical world that these devices provide.

The next step forward for connected consumer devices is the ability to directly affect the local environment. The best-known example of this type of connected product is the Google Nest thermostat. Nest has taken the thermostat from a very basic device that uses a mercury switch to turn a furnace and/or air conditioner on and off to a computer-controlled, Internet-enabled "killer app" IoT product. The benefits of this device go well beyond just keeping your home at a comfortable temperature. Energy companies are working with consumers and their Nest thermostats to help manage electrical grid infrastructure. As IoT devices gain the ability to affect the physical world, incredible new possibilities can be realized.

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