[EricH]

From a student who's actually taking a course that's listed as both ME and EE, and taught by one prof from each department, it's the same sort of thing. I'm an ME, working with the EE design crew on the class project (non-robotic due to time and budget constraints). The main difference is that EEs tend to work with stuff that doesn't need a lot of cutting and drilling and all that; it's more assembly of parts that you get onto a board that you've sized appropriately; MEs tend to go from raw stock to parts and then assemble.

Both of them have to work together, though. When the MEs proposed a design that gave the EEs no space, the EE design and EE manufacturing said so, and both groups picked a new design concept. Then came the most dreaded words of all from both sides: "We can work with whatever you give us."

It's not MEs design and EEs wire. On the contrary, EEs and MEs have to design some things jointly, especially with regards to sensor mountings. The general design process is the same for both. EEs just have to know more how electricity flows through a given circuit, while the MEs focus on how this swinging beam is going to deal with that loading.

If your school has a mechatronics course further on, take it. I haven't gotten to mine yet, but it's coming...