The increasing integration of combining with the hardware (the basic mechanism, electronic circuit board, transducer and actuator) and the software (information processing and overall control) results in integrated systems called mechatronic systems. The development progresses of a mechatronic system involve properly disposing every component for desired function. The progress has a very large influence on a variety of commercial products in the field of advanced robotic systems, Micro/Nanomechatronics, biomechatronics and healthcare, automotive systems, and so on. Indeed, the design concepts usually originate from the biological inspiration. By observing and inspiring the biological phenomena, behavior and similar structures, the correlative principles can be derived or understood and use them to help solve a non-biological problem. In the beginning, this paper enumerates some definitions for mechatronics engineering, and reviews the development history in the field of mechatronic systems. Secondly, the required components, key functions and eminent applications are discussed. In section two, the problems met in the progress from design to realization are proposed, such as biological inspiration and integration aspects. Next, the development of key components for mechatronic system is then described. Numerous literatures have been cited to emphasize the significance of mechatronic applications. Finally, the expectations and future perspectives of mechatronic systems are addressed.

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Ananthropomorphic underactuated prosthetic hand, endowed with position and force sensors and controlled by means of myoelectric commands, is used to perform experiments of hier-archical shared control. Three different hierarchical control strategies combined with a vibrotactile feedback system have been developed and tested by able-bodied subjects through grasping tasks used in activities of daily living (ADLs). The first goal is to find a good tradeoff between good grasping capabilities and low attention required by the user to complete grasping tasks,without addressing advanced algorithm for electromyographic processing. The second goal is to understand whether a vibrotactile feedback system is subjectively or objectively useful and how it changes users’ performance. Experiments showed that users were able to successfully operate the device in the three control strategies, and that the grasp success increased with more interactive control. Practice has proven that when too much effort is required, subjects do not do their best, preferring, instead, a less-interactive control strategy. Moreover, the experiments showed that when grasping tasks are performed under visual control, the enhanced proprioception offered by a vibrotactile system is practically not exploited. Nevertheless, in subjective opinion, feedback seems to be quite important.

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