A novel approach to interpreting, amplifying, and transforming an electronic signal into a closed-loop mechanical motion.
 The rapid evolution of automotive engineering in the last 10 years has largely been driven by the introduction of integrated systems coupling electronic functions with mechanical ones. Electronic fuel injection, electric throttle control or “drive-by-wire,” electric power steering, active brake systems, and adaptive cruise control are just some of many examples. The need for improved comfort, safety, and environmental compatibility has led the latest generation of engineers to dedicate their minds to this sort of mechatronic integration and the electronic controls to attain levels of stability, control, positional accuracy, and architectural simplicity that just weren’t possible before.
Fascinating mission
At Sonceboz, as at most of the automotive Tier 1 and OEM laboratories, engineers are creating new solutions inspired by the rubric “from mind to motion,” meaning that a signal—from a sensor or a transducer, for example—will be interpreted, amplified, and transformed into a closed-loop mechanical motion. In the case of haptic applications such as force feedback, steering, or gearshift applications, a human motion input will generate an amplified mechanical output motion.
So, today’s mechatronic engineers are on a most fascinating mission to develop:
• Future applications related to CO2 reduction toward a target of less than 95 g/km via mechatronic solutions such as air grille shutters, variable cam phasing, and variable valve lift control
• Future applications related to Euro 6+ or U.S. Tier II Bin2 exhaust emissions limits such as low-pressure EGR, SCR, and exhaust back pressure valves
• Future safety-related applications such as adaptive lighting, assisted electric steering, and electric braking systems
It is a great and satisfying thing to know that our brains are contributing to better, safer, and cleaner conventional cars in preparation for the consequential shift to one of the major developing technology shifts such as hybrid and fully electric vehicles.
Mechatronics: a reliable discipline
All these current and forthcoming developments can rely on a confirmed discipline: mechatronics, which is, with a kind of anthropomorphism aspect, mainly based on five core activities:
• Hardware electronics, which can be considered as the nerves driving a muscle
• Software electronics, which are like the brain commanding the nerves
• Gearboxes, like the muscles creating a powerful motion
• Sensors, which we can liken to the sensitivity in your fingers
• Motors and actuators, which can be thought of as the heart of the motion
Today, it is our responsibility as part of the mechatronics community to organize the best practices by setting up worldwide standards that will give robust, consistent structure to this discipline. Tomorrow, the shift from fossil to electric energy will more than fortify the need to link “mind” and “motion,” which sounds like such a rewarding activity that we at Sonceboz would not be surprised to see an increasing number of automotive engineers focusing on this booming mechatronics trend. This is all to the general good, as end users will gain a faster access to enhanced applications that consider public health, fuel economy, safety, and comfort.
The automotive engineering community is steadily transforming itself into a novel “mechatronic” engineering community, and it is a great chance to be part of this evolution.
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