Career in Biomechatronics

Biomechatronics is the merging of man with machine. It is an interdisciplinary field encompassing biology, neurosciences, mechanics, electronics and robotics. Biomechatronic scientists attempt to make devices that interact with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems with the goals of assisting or enhancing human motor control that can be lost or impaired by trauma, disease or birth defects.  Biomechatronic devices encompass a wide range of applications from the development of prosthetic limbs to engineering solutions concerning respiration, vision, and the cardiovascular system. Biomechatronics mimics how the human body works. Any biomechatronic system has four types of components which are as following:

• Biosensor:  It detects the user's "intentions". This information can come from the user's nervous and/or muscle system.

• Mechanical Sensor: It measures information about the device (such as limb position, applied force and load) and relate to the biosensor and/or the controller. These are mechanical devices such as force meters and accelerometers.

• Controller: It interfaces the user's nerve or muscle system and the device. It relays and/or interprets intention commands from the user to the actuators of the device . It also relays and/or interprets feedback information from the mechanical and biosensors to the user. The controller also monitors and controls the movements of the biomechatronic device.

• Actuator: It is an artificial muscle that produces force or movement. The actuator can be a motor that aids or replaces the user's native muscle depending upon whether the device is orthotic or prosthetic.

The demand for biomechatronic devices are at an all-time high and show no signs of slowing down. With increasing technological advancement in recent years, biomechatronic researchers have been able to construct prosthetic limbs that are capable of replicating the functionality of human appendages. Despite the demand, however, biomechatronic technologies struggle within the healthcare market due to high costs and lack of implementation into insurance policies.

There are very few Universities in the world that offer courses in Biomechatronics. Students aspiring to specialize in this field do many courses in the following fields:

• Mechatronics Engineering ( Degree and Masters Level)
• Biomedical Engineering ( Degree and Masters Level)
• Robotics Engineering ( Degree and Masters Level)

There are many prestigious Universities such as MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) that have groups dedicated to academics and research in the field of Biomechatronics.

https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/biomechatronics/overview/

Biomechatronics professionals can work in various areas such as medical device design and manufacturing,  research and development, patient rehabilitation centres, geriatric care, specialized hospitals and prosthetic providers for people with physical and mental disabilities. There is a good scope of seeking employment in above areas and one can find immense satisfaction in helping an individual to lead a normal life.

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