By Dean Karnopp and Donald Margolis F rom cars to washing machines, from mirrors for laser surgery to control surfaces for space shuttles, virtually every mechanical system is a candidate for electronic control. To perform correctly, these mechatronic systems all depend on the interaction of sensors, computers, and actuators. Yet, taking complex dynamic systems all the way from concept to commercialization requires mathematical models. Such models can include those whose equations the modeler derives directly. They can also include equations the modeler develops with software that holds the mathematics in the background.
Programs exist for fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and hydraulics, to name a few.
Mechatronic systems use sensors to convert mechanical measures into electrical signals. Sensors are dynamic, and sometimes must themselves be modeled. Computer algorithms issue commands to actuators based on sensor outputs. The actuators convert electrical inputs to mechanical motions. To model a mechatronic system, all these subsystems must be connected.