Want to Build a Career in Robotics?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has left no stone unturned to tap every field possible. Out of all these, the most widely celebrated is that of robotics. One might wonder how could this be a news so new when it is already established that in this age technology has clutched almost everything. Well, the news of robotics and AI isn’t new but that of a career building surely is. Robotics has transformed the way science finds its applications. The unmatched skill set required to build a career out of it has a lot at the back end including core degrees and other hands-on experiences.

Before we step into mentioning the possible career options and other requisites one must thoroughly understand what robotics is. It is a branch of science that makes a conglomerate of Mechanical, Electronics, and Computer Science Engineering. It is an interdisciplinary course to be precise that deals with the construction and operation of robots and monitoring their application as well. Robotics gives birth to automated machines called robots that have the capacity to replace humans via their functionality without any lapse.

Subjects Relevant

For an individual to pursue robotics, there are certainly some subjects that have to be in the curriculum. Mathematics, for example, is crucial to develop an understanding of concepts that find use in the programming section of robot building. This programming section again points to the subjects from computer science engineering. The sensors and chipsets in robots are developed with the help of concepts from electronics engineering.

Physics observe exemplary utilization in robotics. It provides the basic knowledge of electrical circuits, and mechanics. It also teaches application of mathematics in the field of science. All this basic knowledge is then extended in the form of Mechanical and Electrical engineering.

Mechanical engineering takes care of the hardware development and physical design, electronics engineering caters to controlling of robots including control theory and automation. Computer Science engineering handles the programming part like software design and AI.

Another essential and determining subject is that of design. A large chunk of robotics involves designing the model for it. Apart from this, there are dedicated branches of engineering for robotics like automation and mechatronics that are more specific.

A Career Out of Robotics

There are two key posts that one can hope to attain in the field of robotics. These are a robotics engineer and a robotics technician. Robotics engineer demands a bachelor’s degree whereas robotics technician usually holds a 2-year associate degree.

However, it is not just enough to excel in the fields of robotics with these degrees. The arena demands hands-on experience which can be gathered by participating in a variety of robotics competition. It is also suggested that one must join some extra courses to gain an edge over others. Coursera is another online course providing portal that offers a wide range of courses to choose from.

NASA Career Corner provides career advice to robotics professionals and helps one get the understanding to choose from various sub-branches of robotics. There are robot kits available like Lego Mindstorms that allow you to fondle with robots before actually deciding on something very concrete.

Business and Robotics

Robotics professionals find their need in a plethora of industries today, thanks to the evolving technology. But the pressing and vital ones include automation, electronics, agriculture, and manufacturing industries. Many other industries recruit robotics professionals for an on-job training. One cannot forget that a robotics professional can always apply at NASA and ISRO.

Why Robotics?

There has to be something very intriguing and fascinating other than just interest or curiosity to choose this field. For those who want to be an engineer but not in a traditional field, robotics offers the best choice. The challenges it throws back demand continuous innovation and mind churning. This might seem very engaging to a certain few who are on the edge. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of robotics, it opens numerous doors. One can be a robot scientist or a robotics engineer. With a skill set relevant to the field of robotics, even data analytics can be chosen as a career choice.

Robotics is a vast and complex field but it can be full of curiosity at times. It will continue to surprise you and bring new technologies with robots making our lives easier. But it is also like one of those professions that demand a consistent knowledge influx.