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54 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2024 Flexible Thinking Feature Column by Joe Fjelstad, VERDANT ELECTRONICS Mechatronics in a Flex World Mechatronics integrates two seemingly dis- parate engineering disciplines—mechanics and electronics—into a single subject. From my experience, the two disciplines are not the most compatible roommates because they are oen at cross-purposes when implemented together. Interestingly, having been manufac- turing, inventing, and writing about flexible circuits for more than four decades, I recog- nized that they actually fit perfectly. In my many papers and presentations over the past years, I have oen noted that a flex circuit designer is somewhat unique among circuit designers because they need to wear two hats when designing a solution for the challenge at hand. You're frequently taking off one hat and replacing it with the other. is is because the common needs of the electronic elements of the design (routing space avail- ability, electronic signal integrity, electromag- netic interference mitigation, etc.) will oen be at odds with the design's mechanical needs (bending, dynamic flexibility endurance, reli- ability, etc.). In terms of products, mecha- tronic solutions are oen put into play where product developers need to design multipur- pose electromechanical components such as actuators, sensors, and mechanisms that serve various functions of a product like robots, which are becoming increasingly common as