Multisensor Fusion and Integration Aspects of Mechatronics

This article is a tribute to Prof. Fumio Harashima for his lifelong contributions and achievements in the field of mechatronics. He has made great contributions to the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) in developing the technologies from microprocessor, power electronics, and intelligent mechatronics. These technologies place the IES in a leading role for a new frontier of technology deployment. Synergistic use of multiple sensors by machines and systems enables greater intelligence to be incorporated into their overall operation. Multisensor fusion refers to any stage in the integration process, where there is an actual combination (or fusion) of different sources of sensory information into one representational format. It is one aspect of the overall integration process that involves mathematical and statistical issues including sensor uncertainty. Sensor technologies are important in the mechatronic system, as the senses are to a human. A combination of multiple sensors and multisensor fusion has made possible a new range of applications in mechatronics. In this article, technologies in multisensor fusion and mechatronics are reviewed, including the integration aspects of multisensor fusion with mechatronics system.