Robert Gray Atkins
robert.atkins@grayassociates.com
Coined in the late sixties, the term “mechatronics” was simply a combination of the words mechanics and electronics. It reflected the integration of electrical systems and computing into complicated machinery. Fifty years later, the term is used more broadly and encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including automation and robotics. As a multidisciplinary field of study, students enrolled in mechatronics programs study mechanical and electrical engineering, machine learning, coding, and more. This multifaceted education can make those with a mechatronics background particularly appealing to employers from a variety of industries.
Job Postings in Mechatronics by Company
In the chart above, we can see that mechatronics engineers are sought after in everything from E-commerce (Amazon), to aerospace (Northrop Grumman), and big tech (Apple, Microsoft) among others.
A 2019 Oxford Economics report predicts that robots and automation will replace 20 million manufacturing jobs globally by the year 2030. While this is obviously not good news for factory workers, there are growing opportunities for the people who develop, install, and maintain these robotic systems.
