Ex.3 Compare the result with the original.

The word "mechatronics" was initially defined as the integrated engineering in mechanics and electronics. However, the meaning of this word gradually changes to be taken widely as "intellectualization of machines and systems with information technology". Namely, machines and systems, which control their motion autonomously and appropriately based on the external information, generate a common technology of mechatronics. According to this definition, the automation for an industrial factory line, such as machining line, assembly line, strip mill line, is based on the mechatronics technology. Control system for train operation and intelligent transportation system (ITS) for automobiles are also realized by the mechatronics technology. Considering these circumstances, it is evident that the mechatronics has achieved the highly productivity and has enriched our daily life by improving the performance of machines and systems. We are now confronting many issues to go in an aging society and to sustain our environments. The mechatronics is expected to play an important role to solve the issues brought in the new era.

Even elderly people would have to work in their social activities as well as in their daily lives in the aging society. New mechatronics will be applied in the support of elderly and handicapped people to lead their lives safely and securely. Machines and systems should be designed and operated on the basis of analysis and evaluation of human's psychology and behavior in addition to considering the coordination of humans and machines. The new mechatronics will meet the human science. The forms and the motions of supporting robots, for example, should be designed by evaluating their psychological effects to its users. A monitoring system, whichsecures their peaceful and comfortable lives for citizens, is required to make more detailed observation; however, it should bring no mental and psychological stress to any people. The safety recovery is also a good application for the new mechatronics, which covers rescue tasks after disasters, destruction of hazardous and abandoned weapons, and restoration of polluted environments. Mechatronics in new era will  provide new methodologies and tools to design and to build machines and systems for safety, security, and dependability.In the new years the disciplinary boundaries within engineering education will be diffused as engineering education responds to the growing number of innovations and product development at the interfaces of traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Text E

Mechatronics as technology has produced many new products and provided powerful ways of improving the efficiency of the products which we use in our daily life. Currently, there is no doubt about the importance of the mechatronics as an area in science and technology. However, what is the unique technology of mechatronics seems to be unclear. Some people say that mechatronics is just the collection of the existing science and technology like mechanisms, actuators, electronics, computer technology, fuzzy control, artificial intelligence, micro-machine and so on, but has no original contents of technology. Currently, several textbooks for mechatronics can be found in the world. Almost all these books seem to consist of several chapters, each of which summarizes the subject picked up from existing technologies. This structure makes people think that mechatronics has not a unique technology. Also, there is some confusion between mechatronics and some new areas closely relating to computer technology and electronics, robotics, micro-machines and so on. As long as we put the name of "mechatronics" on some area, mechatronics should have unique technology, or, in other words, it has the unique technology. What is the uniqueness of mechatronics which makes the difference from other relating technologies?

The unique technology of mechatronics will be in the efforts of finding out the best solution to the required needs through efficiently combining several kinds of knowledge from different areas. It is not in each specific area which deals with mechanical-electrical systems, like robotics, fuzzy control and so on. As the future needs, the problems caused by the limited energy resources on the earth and the elderly people society in 21st century will be suggested. To solve the problems, the talk will point out that human friendly and environment conscious technology in mechatronics, as called human friendly environment conscious mechatronics, will be important and activate the advancement of the next generation mechatronics. Also, several examples of future researches relating to this topic will be mentioned.

Ex.1 Look through the text carefully and find if the following statement:

a) is not mentioned

b) is false

c) is true

1 Mechatronics is the only technology which has produced many new products and provided powerful ways of improving the efficiency of the products which we use in our daily life.

2 Most textbooks for mechatronics try to determine the subject summarizing existing technologies.

3 The best feature of mechatronics lies in the fact that it is the integration of the best efforts of knowledge from different areas.

4 As the future needs, the problems caused by the limited energy resources on the earth and the elderly people society in 21st century will be suggested by mechatronics.