The mix of computation, MEMS and regular materials

Summary form only given. The complete presentation was not made available for publication as part of the conference proceedings. The field of mechatronics, although not old, has received new impetus from recent developments. These new developments have occurred in micro-machining, MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS), micro-rapid prototyping, new advances in VLSI leading to higher density chips and new results in designing for low pbwer electronics and have enabled us to think in the field of mechatronics in new ways and to consider new applications. This is especially true for small systems. The traditional problems’of design, such as reliability, low power consumption, the correct choice of materials etc still exist but with a new slant. The second major change has occurred due to the development of the World Wide Web and the fact that the world has embraced it in ways that were inconceivable only a few years ago. The talk starts with a brief discussion of some new issues in Web based design and manufacturing and will continue with issues on mechatronics research and development with reference to work at IS1 and elsewhere on miniature reconfigurable distributed robots, systems made with intelligent members, low power systems and rapid prototyping at the micro scale. The talk will continue with discussion of the need for new thinking on small devices and on the need for better batteries and power generators and on the need for new thinking for chip design and chip packaging, ending with open challenges in actuators and sensors. Progress on these fronts will be essential for the new breed of miniature, even morphogenetic mechatronics devices that the new technology tantalizingly offers. The talk will end with some speculations on the extension of terrestrial mechatronics to space and marine applications.