4. Conclusion

The variety of products covered by mechatronics is impressive. The union of electronics and mechanics is without doubt a happy marriage. However, in absolute figures, when compared with the number of purely mechanical products, the proportion that can be described as mechatronic is not as high as one might expect.

In reality, mechatronics development has been relatively slow, for one simple reason: as we've seen, this technique is no longer pure mechanics, nor is it pure electronics. It's an entirely new way of approaching problems. It calls for a new breed of specialists - mechatronic engineers. It also requires companies to organize and operate their design departments in an entirely new way. Departments hitherto separated by watertight partitions have to work together. All this can't be achieved with a snap of the fingers.

The good news...