An Overview of the Issues and Perspectives for Multisensor Fusion and Integration in Mechatronics

Mechatronics is the integration of mechanical, electrical, information, communication and nano/micro level technologies in the products and manufacturing processes. An intelligent mechatronic system needs the ability to perceive information from the ambient environment and diagnose the system functions by multimodal sensors. The implementation of multisensor fusion and integration (MFI) in mechatronic systems can help reducing uncertainties of sensory data and resulting in more accurate perception. In this paper, an overview of components, functions and applications of Mechatronics is presented. The architecture and fusion algorithms of MFI at different fusion levels in a mechatronic system are also reviewed. And issues and perspectives for multisensor fusion and integration in Mechatronics are discussed.