Technology and intelligent mechatronics

In the last few decades, a silent revolution is taking place. The exponential growth in microelectronic processing power has been achieved by ever decreasing the size of integrated circuits. These circuits which integrate electrical, mechanical and sometimes optical devices, have evolved from silicon revolution. It replaced big complex, costly systems with small, affordable, high performance microsystems. Microsystems are expected to further enable silicon chips to sense, "think", act, and communicate. In essence, to become intlelligent machines. Structures of current microsystems are approaching fundamental limits and the next generation of devices might. show unexpected properties due to quantum effects and fluctuations. A new research field is developing in which we pursue understanding of basic physics associated with such quantum structures, explore their control1 ability, and propose new devices. In this talk, we will begin with a summary of engineering problem solving and proceed to discuss the impact of technology on the development of newly emerging discipline of soft computing and compulational intelligence. The relationship between technology and intelligent mechatronics will be pointed out.