EzeziThununu

Ezezithununu ziyisifundo esixubuqeqesho nokwenziwa kwemiklamo, ukwakhiwa, umgidingo nokusetshenziswa kwezithununu.

Emkhakheni womgcikisho wezinguxa, ezezithununu ziwuklanywa nokwakhiwa kwezinhlaka eziphathekayo zezithununu, kuyilapho emkhakheni wenzululwazi yesiCikizi, ezezithununu zihlozinge ekuhlelelekeni kwemikholezima yezithununu. Olunye Uqeqesho olunesandla kwezezithununu luhlanganisa UmNgcikisho wokwaziswa, Umngcikisho wamazuba,  mechatronics, ezengabuzuba (electronics), umngcikishampilo (bioengineering), UmNgcikisho wesiCikizi, umNgcikisho wokulawula izimiso (control engineering), umNgcikisho wamahlelokusebenza (software engineering), nomchazazibalo, njll.

Impokophelo yezeziThununu ukuklama izinguxa ezizosiza futhi zilekelele abantu. Ezezithununu zithuthukisa izinguxa ezingangena esikhundleni sabantu futhi zinyalize izenzo zabo. Izithununu zingasetshenziswa ezimweni eziningi ngezinjongo eziningi, kodwa namuhla iningi lisetshenziswa ezimweni eziyingozi (ezihlanganisa ukuhlola izithako eziyonzayo, ukuhlonga nokuqhebelula iziqhumani), izinqubo zokukhiqiza, noma lapho abantu abangenakuphila khona (isb. emkhathini, phansi kwamanzi, emchadamweni omkhulu, nasekuhlanzweni kwezithako eziyingozi nemiyonzi). Lokho kuvezwa njengesizathu esizosiza ekwamukelweni kwezithununu emicondozweni enyaliza izinto ezenziwa ngabantu. Izithununu ezinjalo zilinga ukunyaliza ukuhamba, ukukhuphula, inkulumo, ukuqonda, noma eminye imiqhogoyo yabantu. Iningi lezithununu zanamuhla zisuselwa endalweni, kanjalo zinikela emkhakheni wezezithununu ezishoshozwa impilo.

Izithununu ezithile zidinga igalelo lomsebenzisi  ukuze zigidinge, kuyilapho ezinye zizisebenzela ngokwazo. Isicabangelo sokukhanda izithununu ezigidinga ngokwazo akusona esisha, kodwana ucwaningo ngensebenzo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezithununu kwaba yinto ekhula lusilili kwaze kwaba ikhulu lama-20. Kuwo wonke umlando, izazi, abaqambi, abangcikishi, nabochwepheshe,  abahlukene baye bacabanga ukuthi ngolunye usuku izithununu zizokwazi ukulingisa ukucondoza komuntu futhi zenze imisebenzi ngenkobo enjengeyomuntu. Namuhla, ezezithununu ziwumkhakha okhula ngokushesha njengoba ukuthuthuka kwezobuchwepheshe kuphokoza; ukucwaninga, ukuklama, nokwakha izithununu ezintsha ezilungele ukukhonza ezinjongweni ezihlukene, emakhaya, kwezentengiselwano, noma kwezempi. Izithununu eziningi zakhelwa ukwenza imisebenzi eyingozi kubantu, efana nokucisha iziqhumani, ukuthungatha abantu abasindileyo phakathi kwemfucumfucu engazinzile, kanye nokuhlwaya imigodi kanye nokuphahlazeka kwemikhumbi. Ezezithununu ziphinde zisebenzise uhlelo lwe-STEM (inzululwazi, Ubuchwepheshe, umNgcikisho, nomchazazibalo) njengenzisa kufundisa.

 uMsukagama 
Igama lesiZulu elithi isithununu livela kusichazamazwi sika-Doke noVilakazi, esiveza ukuthi lisho 'isigqila, umuntu othathelwa phansi, ongabhekwa njengomuntu'. Lisetshenziswa ngenxa yokuthi lezi zinguxa (machines) ezenza imisebenzi yabantu, azibona abantu, kodwa zisetshenziswa abantu sengathi ziyizigqila zabo, izithununu zabo. Liyahmbisana nomsuka wegama lesingisi elithi robot elivela egameni lolimi lwesi-Slavi  robota, elisho isigqila.

Izici zobuthununu

Kunezinhlobonhlobo eziningi zezithununu; zisetshenziswa ezimweni eziningi ezihlukene ukuze zenze imisebenzi ehlukahkukene. Nakuba zihluka ngokomsebenzi nobumo, zonke zinezici ezintathu eziyisiseko ngokuqondene nomklamo nekwakheka kwazo:

Imithombo