Like all engineering disciplines, mechatronics today would be unthinkable without the utilization of numerous software tools. However, most of these tools are intended for individual users, and there is little support for shared use. In the LCM Forum “ICT in Mechatronics”, Univ.Prof. Dr. Alexander Egyed introduced DesignSpace, which enables integration of any tools and the exchange of data among them.
When there is a need to employ data from multiple engineers, various disciplines and associated programs, problems often arise because no definition covers how to process the data or how to maintain their integrity. This becomes particularly problematic when data are indispensable.
DesignSpace provides a shared engineering infrastructure that lets you integrate any tools and connect their data to detect irregularities across different tools and changes in data transfer. Typical tools used in the mechatronic development process (MCAD, ECAD, office solutions, programming frameworks, etc.) can be integrated, as Prof. Egyed demonstrated on the development of a robot.
In a four-part event series this autumn and winter, the LCM Forum “ICT in Mechatronics” afforded the opportunity to discuss various aspects and future trends (e.g., Industry 4.0) at presentations by experts from science and industry.
This work has been [partially] supported by the Linz Center of Mechatronics (LCM) in the framework of the Austrian COMET-K2 programme.
