What are the differences between Electronic, Mechatronics, and Robotics Engineering?

After three years of studying Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at RMIT University, my answer is as follows:

Electronic engineering is the act of using electronic components applying electrical principles to create electronic circuits for real-life applications. Some circuits may also be programmable using microcontrollers or PLC, also called embedded systems. For example, some electronic devices that you can see every day are traffic lights, washing machines, your smartphone or even PCs.

As for Mechatronics engineering, the name actually speaks for itself, which means the combination of Mechanical and Electronic engineering. The mechanical aspects define how the system will look like, how it will move, and how it's able to stand on its own without collapsing. The electronic engineering within Mechatronics is the wiring of the system, allowing it to function properly as programmed. In other words, the electronic aspects are the internal 'organs' of the system, while the mechanical aspects are basically its shell and joints.

Since Mechatronics has the Mechanics added to it compared to Electronics, its advantages over Electronic engineering are automation and autonomy. An automated system is pre-programmed to perform pre-defined tasks either automatically or as controlled by humans, whereas an autonomous system receives input from its surrounding environment via sensors and then takes following-up actions based on different input.

But hold on... you may be wondering how that "washing machine" automation in Electronic engineering can be separated from the kind of automation in Mechatronics. To answer this, simply ask the question: "Can it move its whole body by itself?". If the answer is YES, it's definitely a mechatronics' automation. Escalators and elevators are perfect examples of automated mechatronic systems. Ordinary washing machines, air conditioners, televisions, or fans, though automatic, can not move their whole bodies, and thus they are just electronic devices.

What makes Mechatronics really stand out from Electronics is the capability of creating autonomous systems such as autonomous cars. rovers, or self-navigating drones. Actions taken by these systems based on the input from their surroundings can be led either by pre-programmed instructions or even utilizing Artificial Intelligence.

Robotics is a subfield of Mechatronics, which means a mechatronic system isn't necessarily a robot. For instance, though an elevator is a mechatronic system, it isn't a robot. So what is a robot? Firstly, it is a MECHATRONIC system that resembles either the shape of a living thing or a body part. And secondly, it is usually made to assist humans in a particular activity, or even replace human efforts in labour-intensive, difficult, or dangerous tasks.

So... does that mean you will learn much more than students from other majors such as Electronic, Software, or Mechanical engineering? That was also the question I kept fondling as a freshman in 2018. Up to now, my answer is that it depends BUT in most cases you DON'T need to be too specialized in any particular major mentioned above. What I'd rather focus on, though, is what I can pick up from each one to economically create a reliable robot as desired. In other words, by focusing only on the CONNECTION between each of the subfields within Mechatronics, you will be able to create a robot more efficiently and with a smaller budget compared to those majoring in Electronic, Mechanical or Software engineering.

All in all, Mechatronics is a combination of mechanical, electronic, and computer engineering, as well as control systems in order to create a purposeful interaction of three elements, starting from sensing where sensors are used to get input, to perception using an embedded computer, and finally to actuation using actuators connected to the output ports to implement the decision. In other words, the environment is sensed, allowing decisions to be made before follow-up action is implemented.

Do you think studying Mechatronics will benefit you more than other majors? Let me know what you think because I'm looking forward to hearing from you!