Design of AI-Enhanced Mechatronic Systems for Precision Manufacturing

Dear Colleagues,

Mechatronic systems are fundamental to modern engineering and play a central role in precision manufacturing. Emerging applications such as semiconductor lithography, high-speed additive manufacturing, medical robotics, and ultra-precision machining demand performance levels that exceed the capabilities of conventional model-based design approaches. Increasing requirements for speed, accuracy, and robustness expose limitations related to nonlinear dynamics, system uncertainties, multi-physics interactions, and limited adaptability in real time.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence offer new opportunities to address these challenges. By integrating AI methods into the design, control, and operational stages, mechatronic systems can achieve improved adaptability, autonomy, and performance. In particular, data-driven techniques enable more effective handling of complex system behaviors, while supporting advanced functionalities such as predictive maintenance and industrial anomaly detection.

This Special Issue focuses on the integration of AI with mechatronic system design for precision manufacturing applications. It highlights innovative methodologies that combine mechanical design, electronics, sensing, actuation, and intelligent control within a unified framework. Contributions are expected to address both component-level developments, such as smart sensors and intelligent actuators, and system-level solutions, including digital twins, adaptive motion control, and autonomous manufacturing processes such as additive manufacturing.

Topics of interest include real-time monitoring and control, edge AI deployment on embedded platforms, digital twin frameworks, and adaptive motion control. Contributions addressing system reliability and performance through fault diagnosis, predictive maintenance, and industrial anomaly detection are particularly encouraged. This Special Issue also covers intelligent sensing and actuation, as well as data-driven optimization in precision manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing and educational mechatronics systems. Interdisciplinary research that bridges mechanical engineering, control systems, electronics, and AI is strongly welcomed, with emphasis on addressing system complexity, process variability, and miniaturization challenges.

The objective of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for high-quality research and practical implementations that advance AI-enhanced mechatronics for application in next-generation precision manufacturing. It also encourages contributions on educational mechatronics systems that demonstrate the integration of AI methods into teaching and applied learning environments.

Suggest themes:

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Design and development of integrated mechatronic systems combining mechanical, electronic, and computational components;
• AI-enhanced control methods for real-time and high-precision applications;
• Precision manufacturing processes including precision machining and additive manufacturing;
• Intelligent actuators and smart sensor systems with AI-driven adaptive behavior;
• Digital twin frameworks for system modeling, monitoring, and optimization;
• Edge AI implementations for embedded or resource-constrained mechatronic platforms;
• Adaptive motion control architectures for dynamic and uncertain environments;
• Fault diagnosis, predictive maintenance, and industrial anomaly detection using data-driven and hybrid approaches;
• Human–machine co-design integrating human expertise with AI optimization in system design;
• Educational mechatronics systems and case studies that showcase mechatronics and AI applications.

Dr. Avraam Chatzopoulos
Dr. Paraskevi Zacharia
Dr. Dimitrios Dimogianopoulos
Dr. Michail Papoutsidakis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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