Mecha...what? [mechatronics]

Pioneered in Japan embraced in Europe and the United States, the engineering discipline of mechatronics seeks to design optimum performance into subsystems of electromechanical products. Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronic control and systems thinking in the design of products and manufacturing processes. The author examines the benefits of mechatronics by discussing the example of the design of an electronic braking system for automobiles