Enhancing knowledge sharing in mechatronics system diagnostic and repair (a case of automobile)

Proceedings of the 3rd
International Conferenceon Computational Mechanics, Computer Application and Mechatronics 2014
ICCM 2014, November 24-26, 2014, Dubai, UAE
Enhancing Knowledge Sharing In Mechatronics System
Diagnostic and Repair (A Case of Automobile): Using
Knowledge-Based Virtual Community System (KBVCS)
1
Hosein H. Abdulah, 2
Yekini N. Asafe, 3
Adetoba B. Tiwalola, and 4
Ojo Olanrewaju
1
Computational Research Institute Abu Dhabi, UAE
2,3,4
Department of Computer Technology, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos Nigeria
Abstract: Mechatronics is synergistic integration of mechanical engineering, with electronics and
intelligent computer control in the design and manufacturing of industrial products and processes.
Automobile (auto car, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers,
which also carries its own engine or motor) is a mechatronic system which served as major means of
transportation around the world. Virtually all community has a need for automobile. This makes
automobile issues as related to diagnostic and repair interesting to all communities. Consequent to
the diversification of skill in diagnosing automobile faults and approaches in solving some problems
and innovation in automobile industry. It is appropriate to say that repair and diagnostic of
automobile will be better enhanced if community has opportunity of sharing knowledge and idea
globally. This paper discussed the desirable elements in automobile as mechatronics system and
present conceptual framework of virtual community model for knowledge sharing among automobile
users.
Keywords: automobile, automobile users, knowledge sharing, mechatronics system, virtual community.
I. INTRODUCTION
An automobile, auto car, motor car or car is
a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting
passengers, which also carries its own engine or
motor. Most definitions of the term specify that
automobiles are designed to run primarily on
roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to
typically have four wheels, and to be
constructed principally for the transport of
people rather than goods. [1] Mechatronics, the
term coined in Japan in the 1970s, has evolved
over the past 25 years and has led to a special
breed of intelligent products. The word,
mechatronics, is composed of ―mecha‖ from
mechanism and the ―tronics‖ from electronics
[2].
In other words, technologies and developed
products will be incorporating electronics more
and more into mechanisms, intimately and
organically, and making it impossible to tell
where one ends and the other begins [3,4].
Harashima, Tomizuka, and Fukada in 1996
defined mechatronics as the synergistic
integration of mechanical engineering, with
electronics and intelligent computer control in
the design and manufacturing of industrial
products and processes [4]. Mechatronics is a
methodology used for the optimal design of
electromechanical products. In recent time
mechatronic system is not just a marriage of
electrical and mechanical systems and is more
than just a control system; it is a complete
integration of all of them. [5]:

In this paper the authors sees community as
a group of people living in the same place or
having a particular characteristic in common. A
virtual community is an aggregation of
individuals who interact around a shared
interest, where interaction is supported and/or
mediated by technology and guided by some
protocols or norms. [6,7] Virtual community
can be dedicated to a specific topic, or seek to
bring people with similar interest or
philosophies together, it supports many to many
media communication and there is no
geographic boundary or physical contact [8].
This paper is focus on designing of Knowledge-
Based Virtual Community System (KBVCS)
For Enhancing Knowledge Sharing in
Mechatronics System Diagnostic and Repair
with particular interest to automobile.
A. Statement of Problem
Diagnostic and repair of automobile products
required a synergistic collaboration among the
stakeholders (automobile owners, drivers,
automobile apprenticeship and conventional
mechanics). This system (KBVCS) will provide
virtual platform to enhance such collaboration
and hence make information readily available.
B. Aims and Objectives
This research work is aimed at achieving the
following objectives
 To provide a conceptual framework for
using virtual community for
collaborations among stakeholders in
automobile diagnostic and repair
 To provide evidences to support the fact
that automobile is a mechatronic system
 To provide information (tutorials) for
training of automobile apprentices
 To provide avenue for decongestion of
conventional automobile workshop
 To provide an interactive network for the
exchanges of ideas among stakeholders
in diagnosing and repair of automobile
system through real-time conversation
through text and voice.
C. Scope of the study
This work will cover the sharing of information
and collaboration among stakeholders in
automobile millennium cars.
1. BACKGROUND TO THE
STUDY
1.1Automobiles as a Mechatronic System
In the late 1970s, the Japan Society for the
Promotion of Machine Industry (JSPMI)
classified mechatronics products into four
categories [1]: Class I: Primarily mechanical
products with electronics incorporated to
enhance functionality, Class II: Traditional
mechanical systems with significantly updated
internal devices incorporating electronics with
the external user interfaces are unaltered, Class
III: Systems that retain the functionality of the
traditional mechanical system, but the internal
mechanisms are replaced by electronics, and
Class IV: Products designed with mechanical
and electronic technologies through synergistic
integration.
The evolution of modern mechatronics can
be illustrated with the example of the
automobile. Until the 1960s, the radio was the
only significant electronics in an automobile.
All other functions were entirely mechanical or
electrical, such as the starter motor and the
battery charging systems. There were no
intelligent safety systems,‖ except augmenting
the bumper and structural members to protect
occupants in case of accidents. Seat belts,
introduced in the early 1960s, were aimed at
improving occupant safety and were completely
mechanically actuated.

The Antilock Brake System (ABS) was also
introduced in the late 1970s in automobiles [7].
The ABS works by sensing lockup of any of the
wheels and then modulating the hydraulic
pressure as needed to minimize or eliminate
sliding. The Traction Control System (TCS)
was introduced in automobiles in the mid-
1990s.
The TCS works by sensing slippage during
acceleration and then modulating the power to
the slipping wheel. This process ensures that the
vehicle is accelerating at the maximum possible
rate under given road and vehicle conditions.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system
was introduced in automobiles in the late 1990s.
The VDC works similar to the TCS with the
addition of a yaw rate sensor and a lateral
accelerometer [7]. The driver intention is
determined by the steering wheel position and
then compared with the actual direction of
motion. The TCS system is then activated to
control the power to the wheels and to control
the vehicle velocity and minimize the difference
between the steering wheel direction and the
direction of the vehicle motion [8].
II. METHODOLOGY AND
FRAMEWORK
A. Analysis of the proposed System
The system shall be a web-based and a
database driven with expert system shell and
knowledge-based section of artificial
intelligence for knowledge extraction that is
completely updatable by the various categories
of users. The proposed system model is as
shown in figure 1 below.
B. Proposed System Users
There will be four (4) categories of users
which are:
 Conventional expert mechanics
 Drivers
 Automobile owners
 Automobile apprentice
The various operations that the users can
perform are; registration, post problems, post
repair tips, meet experts, invite experts, post
tutorials and view tutorials. Every user must
first of all register and their information stored
in the data based before sign-in to perform any
of the operation mentioned.
Conventional expert mechanics can perform
operations which includes; posting of tutorials,
posting repair tips and solution, and
collaboration among other stakeholders.
Drivers and automobile owners can performs
operation like viewing post (such as repair and

solution tips), posting his/her own problems,
and invite expert for collaboration.
III. PROPOSED DESIGN AND
IMPLEMENTATION
A. Choice of Programming Language
The choice of programming language will be
PHP (Hypertext pre-processor) for server-side
scripting, JavaScript and HTML for media
content management and MYSQL as the back-
end database. In addition, these technologies are
open-sourced and are available for download
for free of charge or come packaged with most
if not all browsers, as they are the rendering
interfaces for all web based applications.
B. Input Design
The input design depicts the means and
methods through which users or the
administrator passes data to the system for
processing. It involves the GUI (graphical user-
interface) which employs form tools such as
textboxes, selection boxes, input fields and a
host of other HTML form tools that allow the
user or administrator to interact with the system
without necessarily following a predefined
order. The user interaction with the system
starts at the home page where the user enters
data for sign-up and later sign-in to perform the
operations mentioned.
C. OUTPUT DESIGN
The output defines the way the system
responds to users interactions. It shows the
various means it uses to present information to
the users for decision making. The system
presents information to users based on their
interaction from the home page’s and other
related pages. The user can then view more
information and perform more searches from
there; they can as well choose the information
that is relevant to their search criteria.
D. Implementation
This stage involves the various aspects that
would be considered in order to put the new
system to proper use and for it to deliver
effectively and efficiently. It considers the
factors that affect the successful running of the
new system which includes: hardware
requirement, software requirement, human ware
(users), testing, and documentation.
E. Hardware requirement
The infrastructure needed to run the
Knowledge-Based Virtual Community System
(KBVCS) shall include high computation
capability (i.e. CPU) due to client request and
Asynchronous request processing referring to
AJAX technology, minimal volume of storage
device in gigabyte (GB) range to provide space
for the impending large database of
information, large bandwidth to compensate for
high internet traffic and client connections. The
aforementioned facilities are provided by the
hosting service at a rent. However, the
clients/users (the administrators and users)
accessing the solution should have the
following minimum requirements.
 A multimedia enabled Personal
Computer (PC) or Personal Digital
Assistant (PDA).
 A modem/DSL for internet connection
 Prior minimal knowledge in the case of
the client on internet use and
professional internet and application
knowledge on the path of the
administrator.
F. Software Requirement
As mention above, the software platform to
host the application will be provided by the
cloud, but the clients/users’ needs the
following:

 An advanced operating system on
personal computer or smartphones and
devices such as windows, Linux or
Macintosh OS, and for mobile devices
Android OS.
 An updated web browser that supports
HTML5 on personal computer,
smartphones and related devices.
IV. CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Consequent to dynamism and nature of
complex information required in maintenances,
diagnosing and repair of automobiles in modern
age of mechatronic, widespread usage and
application of automobile across the globe. This
proposed Knowledge-Based Virtual
Community System (KBVCS) will be of sin-
qua-non benefits for collaborations and sharing
of information among the stakeholders in
diagnosing and repair of automobile system.
The system if designed and implemented it will
reduce congestion in a conventional motor
mechanics workshop. However for the
successful implementation of the virtual
community, we recommended that government
must be a partnership in progress by making
available infrastructure such as electricity
power supply, data communication and
transmission devices at subsidy rate, and
individual level of ICT literacy should be
upgraded. Also the automobile industry and
movement should embark on public awareness
on the need for knowledge sharing and its
associated benefit
We acknowledged the management of Yaba
College of technology for providing enabling
environment for research and publication. We
also thank Mr. J.O. Adigun for for reshaping the
initial idea that resulted to this paper.
REFERENCES
[1] F.G. Fowler and H.W. Fowler. (1976).
Pocket Oxford Dictionary. London: Oxford
University Press. ISBN 0-19-861113-7
[2] Kyura, N. and Oho, H., ―Mechatronics—an
industrial perspective, IEEE/ASME
Transactions on Mechatronics, Vol. 1, No.
1, 1996, pp. 10–15.
[3] Mori, T., Mechatronics, Yasakawa Internal
Trademark Application Memo 21.131.01,
July 12, 1969.
[4] Harshama, F., Tomizuka, M., and Fukuda,
T., ―Mechatronics—What is it, why, and
how?—an editorial,‖ IEEE/ASME
Transactions on Mechatronics, Vol. 1, No.
1, 1996, pp. 1–4.
[5] Bolton, W., Mechatronics: Electrical
Control Systems in Mechanical and
Electrical Engineering, 2Nd Ed., Addison-
Wesley Longman, Harlow, England, 1999.
[6] Preece, Jenny (2000). Online Communities:
Design Usability, Supporting socialibilty.
[7] Rheingold, Howard. (1994). ― The Virtual
Community: Homesteading on the
Electronic Frontier‖, Addison –Westle,
Reading, MA.
[8] Tomkinson, D. and Horne, J., Mechatronics
Engineering, McGraw-Hill, New York,
1996.Pastor, S. et al., ―Brake Control
System,‖ United States Patent # 5,720,533,
Feb. 24, 1998 (see http:// www.uspto.gov/
for more information).

Enhancing knowledge sharing in mechatronics system diagnostic and repair (a case of automobile)

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