The 1997 fall semester at San Diego State University witnessed the inauguration of a new Mechatronics laboratory located in room E-120. Mechatronics, a multi-disciplined academic area encompassing mechanical, electronic/electrical, and computer engineering, is designed to provide a state-of-the-art manufacturing experience to the engineering student. While it has only been in operation for a short time, many students are already finding the fully equipped facility offers a learning environment to explore the design and operation of machines that have an "intellectual" or microprocessor system of feedback.

The lab, designed by associate professor Greg Bailey (EE/ME) and constructed by Stig Johansson (AE), relies heavily on electronics sensors including pressure, temperature, strain, rotation, time, and flow. These monitor the physical attributes of a number of mechanical devices, which were constructed specifically for the lab. The electrical signals are then coupled to programmable logic controllers, PIC devices, as well as LabVIEW equipped PC's as apart of the intellectual feedback systems.

The laboratory is divided into a number of areas each containing an experiment such as hydraulics, pneumatics, power transmission, a miniature elevator, and a 10-foot high scale model roller coaster. There is a dedicated area for electronic construction and experimentation where students can build circuits used in the mechatronic process. Another part of the lab contains a complete conveyor system equipped with variable speed drives offering the student hands-on experience in mass production procedures. A vision system and a pick-n-place robotic arm (donated by Sony's Rancho Bernardo facility) will be placed into operation prior to the Spring Semester.