Mechanical engineering, one of the broadest and most comprehensive engineering fields, is engaged in transforming scientific discoveries into products that can benefit society. Mechanical engineers develop, design, manufacture and maintain diverse systems, among them automated machines and production systems; robots that perform manufacturing and service tasks; sophisticated motion systems (for automobiles, airplanes and ships; control and guidance systems; power stations for producing energy using standard and alternative methods. New scientific discoveries pertaining to miniaturization, computers and life sciences along with new demands from high-tech industries have presented mechanical engineers with new challenges, among them the development of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), nanotechnology and nano-production, automated robots, medical instrumentation and robots, opto-mechanical systems, and biomechanical devices and instruments.