Introduction to Mechatronics Engineering

What is Mechatronics Engineering?

I still remember when I first told someone I was doing my undergraduate in Mechatronics Engineering and they said “What? Mechatron Engineering? Are you going to build Optimus Prime?”. Well, technically they weren’t wrong, Mechatronics Engineering does have a lot to do the robotics so thanks to Transformers the movie people have some idea about Mechatronics engineering. But robotics cannot completely define a Mechatronics engineer. In the words of one of my professors “Mechatronics Engineering is the mother of all engineering” which is almost completely true. Mechatronics Engineering is the study of Core Electrical, Mechanical and some Software Engineering. Which means a Mechatronics Engineer will be have the knowledge of basic Mechanical and Electrical Engineer and will be capable of tackling most of the engineering problems in both fields. A good modern practical example of a machine right in the alley of a Mechatronics engineer would be next generation cars in which there are mechanical engines working along side a processor that makes it autonomous in many ways. Although when all engineers graduate they aren’t completely industry ready but it is safe to say that a Mechatronics Engineer is more ready for his industrial field than any other engineer at graduation due his knowledge of combined systems (combination of electrical and mechanical systems) yet this is a relatively new field and it adds to its army of engineers every year in Pakistan.

What are the subjects that I will study in Mechatronics Engineering, What prerequisites must I have for this degree and which universities offer this degree in Pakistan?

Mechatronics Engineering all over Pakistan is a 4 year degree with round about 141 academic credit hours in a bachelor’s degree. All universities have a different curriculum for a their Mechatronics Engineering undergraduate studies, some are more inclined towards Mechanical Engineering courses, some more inclined towards Electrical Engineering courses and a very few strike the perfect balance. Unfortunately the ones that strike that perfect balance do not exist in Pakistan.

The following are the core courses of Mechatronics Engineering:

Electrical Engineering Courses in Mechatronics;

1. Electric Circuit Analysis

2. Analog Electronics

3. Digital Logic

4. Power Electronics

Computer Software Engineering Courses in Mechatronics:

1. Computer Programming

Mechanical Engineering Courses in Mechatronics:

1. Workshop Technology
2. Engineering Statics
3. Engineering Dynamics
4. Thermodynamics
5. Mechanics of Materials
6. Fluid Mechanics
7. Heat and Mass Transfer

Math Courses in Mechatronics Engineering:

1. Calculus 1
2. Calculus 2
3. Linear Algebra
4. Complex Analysis
5. Probability and Random Variables
6. Numerical Analysis and Computation

Courses Modified for or Specific to Mechatronics:

1. Computer aided design and engineering drawing
2. Machine Design Applications in Mechatronics
3. Electromechanical Systems
4. Applied Mechatronics
5. Embedded Systems
6. Microprocessor and Microcontrollers
7. Control Engineering
8. Modeling and simulation
9. Advanced Mechatronics
10. Artificial Design and Machine Vision
11. Computer Aided Engineering
12. Industrial Mechatronics
    

And of course your final year project. If you want the details for these subjects then Google can explain it better than no other.

The following are universities in Pakistan that provide a Mechatronics Engineering Degree:

1. Nust E.M.E (Islamabad)

2. Air University (Islamabad)

3. U.E.T (Lahore and Taxilla)

All these Universities require an equivalence of 60% from HEC and Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics at your FSC or A’ level.