4. Conclusions and outlook

The concept of tribotronics, which emerged barely a decade ago, has been presented in two dimensions (macrotribotronics and microtribotronics). The aim of this introductory article is to show the milestones for the development of next-generation intelligent tribological systems. Tribotronics mainly covers the active control of tribological elements. Active control includes not only the use of electronic and mechanical components, but also the control of the physical and chemical behavior of fluids and materials at an interface. A small number of active tribological systems are currently under development. These include the Friction Energy Recovery System (FERS) and the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), invented in the 1950s by Richard Feynman. This system can be used not only in automobiles, but also in rail vehicles, electric bicycles and more. In a conventional power supply system,...