Functional Modeling of Complex Mechatronic Systems

Abstract

In this paper, we present a systematic approach for functional modeling of complex mechatronic systems. This approach is built upon our modeling representation platform dedicated to mechatronic systems. In particular, this approach is structured to span the functional modeling process through five phases: function generation, function decomposition, function analysis, function transformation, and structure refinement. By means of functional modeling, a function structure of the mechatronic system under design can be created upon which the formation of design concepts and solutions can be further built. Application of this approach to the conceptual design of a parallel robotic device is illustrated along with discussions.