Mechatronics design Jacob Buur. A theoretial approach to mechatro-

nics design, Technical University of Denmark,

Lyngby, (1990)

This book is the second which Dr Buur has

produced on the basis of his PhD Thesis. Alas, it

is not so commendable as his first (Mechatronics

design in Japan, also reviewed in this issue). It is

yet another contribution to the very overworked

subject of design methodology, particularly

directed to mechatronics. Nevertheless, it is

worth reading for those interested in design or

mechatronics.

The opening chapters on the nature of

mechatronics and the conditions for its success-

ful practice in industry are good. Chapters 4 to 6

deal with 'design theory' and introduce the

author's own version. However, what is called

' theory' here is really mostly description, partly

truisms and partly definitions, what might be

called ' the anatomy of design'. Twenty years

ago I wrote of such anatomies, that they were

much like Kipl.ing?s tribal lays, ' there are nine

and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays, and

every single one of them is right', and that

designers should use any they fancied.

A theory should be susceptible of test, and

Buur does address this matter, but not in a

convincing fashion. He writes 'It must be noted

also that verification of design tools is not so

much a question of whether they "work" or not,

it is a comparison relative to the qualities of

existing tools and working practice'. But there

can never be an opportunity to make such a

comparison except upon a purely subjective

basis, and no doubt on such a basis designers

who preferred one anatomy would say that was

best, and as with tribal lays, that would be true

for them. Indeed, most designers probably man-

age without a conscious concept of an 'anatomy'

at all, but they would find it a help in managing

their work, especially where concurrent en-

gineering is concerned, as it should be. It is after

all, basically the same idea as that behind an

earlier enthusiasm, critical path analysis: such

rebirths are desirable, because they review

vigour also.

What Buur and others call 'design theory' is a

waste of effort, for almost all that can usefully

be said has been said long ago, and that is

precious little. At the same time, design goes on

and designers display great ingenuity, and few

study their designs or attempt to extract gener-

alizations or principles from it, like the principle

of least constraint or the concept of corner

power, due to Thoma. The first is at least known

to many practical designers who apply it with

great success, but the latter is unknown to many

in whose work it should be important.

Nevertlaeless, there is some good stuff in

Buur's book, particularly in the wide-ranging

collection he has made from the literature and in

the comparisons he makes between mechatro-

nics and purely mechanical or eletronic design.

As with his first book, the style is admirably

spare and clear and he packs a great deal into a

hundred or so pages and a couple of appendices.

He quotes some useful principles as well as

some tiresome truisms, and the many freehand

sketches are a pleasure. Incidentally, there is no

credit to the artist, or are the sketches Buur's

own and can everyone at the Technical Uni-

versity of Denmark do them?

In an abstract at the beginning Buur refers to

the 'optimal mixture of mechanics, electronics

and software in mechatronics concept design',

and indeed, this is a central problem. He does

not go far towards helping to solve it, but then it

is a very big problem and even a little help is to

be welcomed.

Michael French

210 Design Studies Vol 13 No 2 April 1992