Mechatronic Futures: Further Challenges and Solutions for Mechatronic Systems and Their Designers

This book, a new and revised edition of “Mechatronic Futures”, sets out to identify and discuss the key issues likely to impact on the design and implementation of future mechatronic systems. In doing so, it offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges, risks and options that define the future of mechatronics and provides insights into how these issues are currently being assessed and managed.

The book aims to support mechatronics practitioners in identifying key areas in design, modelling and technology and to place these in the wider context of concepts such as cyber-physical systems, Digital Twins and the Internet of Things and alongside issues such as privacy, security and sustainability. For educators, it considers the potential effects of developments in these areas on mechatronic course design, and ways of integrating these. Written by experts in the field, it explores topics including systems integration, design, modelling, privacy, ethics, lifecycle monitoring, sustainability and other potential future application domains. 

This new edition contains many new chapters as well as updated and revised chapters from the previous edition, and takes into account how recent significant developments in artificial intelligence and cyber-security are changing how current mechatronic systems are designed, manufactured, operated, used and potentially recycled. 

Highlighting novel innovations and directions, the book is intended for academics, engineers, managers, researchers and students working in the field of mechatronics, particularly those developing new concepts, methods and ideas.

Dr. Peter Hehenberger is Professor for Integrated Product Development, Head of the “Smart Mechatronics Engineering” Research Group and Scientific Partner of the “Institute for Agile Transformation” at the School of Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Wels/Austria. He completed his Diploma and Doctorate in Mechatronics from Johannes Kepler University of Linz (JKU), Austria in 2000 and 2004, respectively. In 2016 he received the post-doctoral lecturing qualification (venia docendi) for the subject area “Engineering Design”. Core research interests cover “Sustainability in Development and Production of Mechatronic Systems” and “Engineering Processes” along with topics on “Digital Transformation”. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers in international journals and conference proceedings and serves as an Editorial Board Member for the “IFAC Journal Mechatronics”, “Computer-Aided Design and Applications” and “International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management” (IJPLM). In addition, he has authored or co-authored 7 books related to his research field.

As one of the three founder members of the Mechatronics Forum in the UK, David Bradley has been working in the field of mechatronics for over 35 years, encompassing research into areas including machine-based intelligence, smart systems, the design of mechatronic (and other) systems and system modelling with applications ranging from construction robotics and power generation to eHealth. He remains involved in an advisory capacity on projects aimed at developing advanced mechatronics applications, such as the impact of Internet of Things-related technologies on human-based systems. He has acted as a consultant or adviser on mechatronic course development in Singapore, South Africa and Colombia and has been a guest lecturer or visitor in various countries. He was a contributing editor to the companion volumes “Mechatronics in Action” (with Prof. David Russell), “Reinventing Mechatronics” (with Prof.  Xiu-Tian Yan, Prof. David Russell  and Prof. Philip Moore) and “EcoMechatronics” (with Prof. Peter Hehenberger and Prof. Maki Habib), as well as being the lead author of two other mechatronics oriented textbooks