A mechatronics approach to instrumentation design

NETC engineers have been involved in the development of the Micra, Primera and Terrano II for Europe. The 4WD Nissan Terrano II was the first vehicle to be designed and developed in Europe, solely for the European market. Over the years, instrumentation design has undergone radical change; today's product is highly integrated, an excellent example of the successful application of a mechatronics design approach. To support this the organisational structure and development processes within the instrument cluster suppliers has had to evolve. Cross-functional teams exist, allowing optimal solutions to be identified to overcome new project concerns. Additionally, the mechatronics approach has allowed instrumentation design to overcome long standing historic concerns and compromises which have resulted from the lack of flexibility offered by a purely mechanical design.