Introduction to Biomechatronics

Abstract

Mechatronic engineering is the synergistic combination of mechanical, electronic, computer, and control systems along with a dash of systems engineering. This interdisciplinary combination brings together the requisite technology and skills to design new and to improve existing electromechanical systems. Biomechatronics is the application of mechatronic engineering to human biology, and, as such, it forms an important subset of the overall biomedical engineering discipline. As with mechatronics, which is often synonymous with robotics, biomechatronics is often thought of as restricted to the development of prosthetic limbs. However, in reality, biomechatronics covers a much wider genre than this, and along with prosthetic limbs this book examines some of the more interesting applications including those related to hearing, respiration, vision, and the cardiovascular system.