The Road Not Taken
I have often been asked why I decided on Mechatronics as a discipline, and to use the immortal words of Robert Frost:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Whilst on my little jaunt down this road they call Mechatronics, I have been asked many a time to define exactly what it is I do. I try and resist the temptation to say something inane like: “We are trying to build the next generation of The Transformers, called the Mechatrons.”; “It’s just a fancy word to mean that we sit around and play with Meccano all day”; and “I’m basically just learning how to make robots. Cool huh?”. And instead I say something along the lines of “Well it’s basically just a mixture of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, with a bit of Electronic Engineering just for kicks.”
But as of today I now have a new definition of Mechatronics that I saw on a poster around uni, here goes:
Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronic controls and systems engineering in the design of products and processes
Try understanding exactly what it means after only hearing it once. And then try saying it ten times fast! Should I carry a copy of this poster around with me so that I can show people exactly where I fit in the Engineering universe?
October 14th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
Nah, just do as i do and say we do Megatronics… and explain it as either really large electronics or developing weapons that transform into evil rules of a cartoon show… makes life more fun
but always remember to put, it’s harder than straight mech eng, and makes those sci/mech eng boys look like they picked up their degree from the smae crackerjacks box as those folk in arts…
October 14th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Isn’t the Eng department @ uni terrible at explaining their courses to prospective students?!
I remember trying to get several people to explain the difference between Software Eng and Computer Science to me on an Open Day when I was about 15, and all I spoke to failing miserably.
For anyone out there wondering, they are pretty much the same degree (depending on what 300-level electives you pick) ‘cept Software Eng gets you to complete a year-long industry project. This makes Software Eng 4 years instead of 3. Not that difficult to describe really!
Nuh, I like the Transformers description better, leave the posters to confused high-school students…
October 14th, 2006 at 4:37 pm
ps. I’ve always loved that poem.
October 14th, 2006 at 7:29 pm
That’s my poem, Will, hands off.
October 14th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
PS: also, while I like the whole “I make furbies/mechano/etc” angle, you can equally make people feel very stupid by just going…
mechatronics — mechanical and electronic engeneering.
Like pugapoos, and cavoodles.
But not quite like them.
October 16th, 2006 at 2:34 am
ummm… not quite, very creative, but not quite