Global economic recession has not even spared the IT industry. But in the aftermath of global economic recession, recruitment is getting reduced in the coming years. The major preference for students was to join IT; but gradually the situation is changing. New generation courses like Mechatronics, Nano technology, Biomedical science; Bioinformatics, communication, electronics etc are emerging as the major placement oriented courses.
Mechatronics is emerging as one of the integrated new generation courses having enough careers potential within the country and abroad. This is a combination of mechanical engineering, electrical & electronics, computer engineering, systems engineering and control engineering. It is also called Robotic science. Mechatronics has wide applications in Robotics, Nanotechnology, automation, aircraft engineering, biomedical systems and computer-aided design. Biomechatronics is a branch of Mechatronics having electronics, mechatronics and biology as the different fields of study.
India rank fourth in telecommunication sector after Japan, China and South Korea. By 2012 this sector will exhibit spectacular growth and create immense job opportunities in the country. Taking in to account the emerging opportunities in the telecom sector, Nanotechnology and Mechatronics are emerging as the promising technological areas.
Even though mechatronics courses have got wide popularity in United States, UK and Canada, in India it is in the primitive stage. All industrial employers are trying to reduce the number of employees. Their objectives are to increase production, productivity and profitability. They prefer mechatronics engineers to reduce one-third work force of engineering staff. Number of institutions offering mechatronics course is comparatively less in India. There are only very few institutions offering BTech and MTech mechatronics programmes.
Being the four-year graduate programme, engineering students can directly apply for postgraduate programmes in Mechatronics abroad. MSc Mechatronics is the most established and successful specialist programme in UK, which will substantially enhance career prospects of students. It is of one-year duration under full-time programme. In United States MS Mechatronics course is of two years duration.
Prospects
Any graduate from an electrical/electron ic, mechanical, computer/ software engineering or physical science discipline that will be looking to integrate his subject knowledge to develop an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving and engineering product development can join this programme.
This advanced programmes like MS, MTech and PhD programmes offered by different universities of United States, UK and Canada focus on enabling students to become proficient in communicating across a range of different disciplines. This ensures that student’s communication skills with people of other disciplines become an integral core competency.
After completing the above courses, students will have been exposed to:
• Comprehensive coverage of a broad range of engineering disciplines
• An enhanced knowledge base with which to solve multidisciplinary mechatronics problems
• The skills required for applying a mechatronic approach to the solution of a technological problem.
About the course contents –MS Mechatronics
Stage One: Broadening studies (12 weeks plus three weeks assessment). Four modules with an emphasis on case studies:
• Electro mechanics: Provides an insight into the fundamental theory behind mechanical, electronic and mechatronic systems engineering and the more detailed study of control, dynamics and design
• Mechatronic Systems - Engineering and Design: Introduces the mechatronic philosophies of design and provides the basic tools and rules for analysis of systems, integrated design concepts and evaluation techniques
• Mechatronic Business Environment: Provides an awareness of the commercial environment and the need for profit and some grounding in management techniques
• Programming and Software Engineering: Develops the knowledge of efficient programming approaches to software engineering with an emphasis on the development of practical programming skills. Modular programming in C provides the basis for many signal and image processing software and programming techniques.
Stage Two: Advanced studies (12 weeks plus three weeks assessment). Four modules intended to deepen knowledge of some of the tools required by practicing Mechatronic engineers:
• Machine Vision, Robotics and Flexible Automation: Provides both conceptual and detailed knowledge in the area of robotics, machine vision and flexible automation. Also builds upon the fundamental philosophy of Mechatronics in the context of flexible automation technologies
• Mechatronics Systems: Dynamics and Control: Deepens knowledge in the area of control and dynamics. The study builds upon the fundamental philosophy presented in Mechatronic Systems - Engineering and Design. The application of control and signal processing is considered to be a critical mechatronic specialization.
• Microprocessor Applications and Digital Signal Processing: Provides adequate knowledge for the application of a microprocessor system, aimed at single chip embedded solutions as being appropriate to a product orientated treatment. Also provides the knowledge of DSP algorithms and systems and an understanding of implementation technologies, designs and application areas
• Research Methods: Prepares for the Individual Project by presenting a project outline indicating the problem, methodology and outcomes. Appraises a range of different approaches, which may be adopted at various stages within a research project, taking into account factors such as the project length, constraints and the purpose
• Individual Project (Stage Three): Is industrially based, attached to one of the mechatronic research teams within CSE or in other collaborating institutions.
The research project should be in an area, which is relevant to Mechatronics, where clear evidence of the ability to solve a real multidisciplinary problem is demonstrated. This research can be industrially based or linked to an industrial partner. The project assessment involves a formal presentation, production of a technical paper and a thesis.
Career options
After completing the post graduate programme in mechatronics, career opportunities include positions such as a systems engineer, application engineer, product development engineer or any engineering role that requires competence in understanding interdisciplinary issues with insights.
Successful completion of the programme should also provide you with a foundation for a senior project management role in product development in industrial sectors such as automation systems, automotive engineering, aerospace, shipping or hardware/software development.
Entry requirements
Applicants for Diploma/BTech course must have completed plus two Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with minimum 50 percent marks . Applicants for postgraduate programmes in Mechatronics are required to have completed B Tech or the equivalent of a post graduate degree in a relevant discipline. Students without academic qualifications but with extensive industry experience will be considered on an individual basis.
For applicants for whom English is not their first language, an IELTS score of 6.0 or equivalent is necessary in Canada, UK and North American Universities. For other American universities, students must have completed TOEFL and GRE examinations with better score.
Mechatronics Courses within the country
• Three-year diploma programmes at NTTF, Coimbatore, Dharwad, Thoothukkudy, Jamshedpur and Gopalpur (Orissa). www.nttfrg.com
• Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Kanchipuram http://www.avit. ac.in/index. html
• G.H.Patel College of Engg and Technology, Anand, Gujarat www.gcet.ac. in/
• Kongu Engineering college, Chinnaredampatti , Coimbatore , Erode www.kongu.ac. in
• K.S. Rangasamy College of Technology, Tiruchengode( TN) www.ksrct.ac. in/index. php
• Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore( Tamil Nadu ) http://www.kct. ac.in/
• Maharaja Engineering College , Coimbatore http://www.maharaja .in/mec/index. html
• Madras institute of Technology- www.mitindia. edu
• Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal( Karnataka ) www.manipal. edu
• PSN College of Engineering and Technology (PSNCET) , Nagercoil http://psngroup. org/
• Sri Krishna College of Engineering & Technology, Coimbatore http://www.skcet. ac.in/
• Thyagarajar college of Engineering, Madhura – www.tce.edu
• Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Engg College, Salem www.vmkvec.ac. in
• Velloor institute of Technology- www.vit.ac.in
