The University
System of Georgia Board of Regents approved SPSU's Bachelor of Science
in Mechatronics Engineering Degree in October of 2006. Fall 2007 was
the first incoming freshman class.
IEEE/ASME Transactions
on Mechatronics was the first refereed journal published in the United
States focused on Mechatronics. In the first issue (March 1996), mechatronics
was defined as: "The synergistic integration of mechanical engineering
with electronics and intelligent computer control in the design and
manufacturing of industrial products and processes." Ten specific
topics were identified under the general category of mechatronics:
Mechatronic systems
can be a complete product or a sub-component of a product. Examples
of mechatronic systems include aircraft flight control and navigation
systems; automotive electronic fuel injection and anti-lock brake
systems; automated manufacturing systems including robots, numerical
control machining centers, packaging systems and plastic injection-molding
systems; artificial organs; health monitoring and surgical systems;
copy machines; and many more. Some common element of all these systems
is the integration of analog and digital circuits, microprocessors
and computers, mechanical devices, sensors, actuators, and controls.
Mechatronics Engineering
graduates can select from a wide spectrum of industries for career
choices and can also contribute in a variety of roles including design
engineer, software engineer, project planner, product designer, and
project manager. Mechatronics Engineering program graduates are able
to select from jobs as Mechatronics specialists in a variety of industries.
Opportunities are also available to graduates in smaller companies
that need generalists who can perform both mechanical and electrical
engineering functions.