Get a clear answer to the question, “What is robotics?” Then, learn more information about robots and robotics, including how you can turn robotics into a career.
Robotics blends engineering and technology to create intelligent machines called robots. Sometimes human-controlled and other times autonomous, robots can provide entertainment or perform tasks that people might find tedious, complex, or hazardous to health or safety. If you work in robotics, you may design, develop, operate, and maintain robots.
You can find robotics used across many industries, from automatic to agriculture to health care. Those who might use some form of robotics include:
Aircraft inspectors
Astronauts
Automobile manufacturers
Disaster responders
Factory owners
Financial consultants
Pharmacists
Pipeline developers
Restaurant owners
Retailers
Surgeons
Robotics can assist with various essential functions for professionals and ordinary homeowners. The following are some common examples of uses for robots:
Auto accident response
Bricklaying
Crop planting, pollination, and harvesting
Emergency risk analysis
Hotel guest services
House cleaning
Military sentry duty
Mining ore transport
Oil drilling
Pizza delivery
Restaurant table service and floor cleaning
Specimen collection on other planets
Surgical assistance
Robotics engineers design and build robots to perform different functions. Explore five different types of robotics and their various designs.
1. Pre-programmed: These robots have a pre-programmed design. They function to perform specific tasks, and they only execute the functions within their programming, with no deviation. Examples of pre-programmed robots include a mechanical arm with a single task on an assembly line and a robot that performs a specific medical procedure.
2. Teleoperated: These robots often operate in conditions that humans cannot or those that might pose safety risks to people. They work through human-directed remote control. Some examples include robots that perform underwater tasks, such as repairing pipelines or submarines, and robots that search for and rescue humans following a disaster like an earthquake.
3. Autonomous: These robots operate independently of human supervision. Autonomous robots perceive the environment through built-in sensors and adapt accordingly. Examples of robots that work independently include delivery robots and devices for vacuuming floors.
4. Augmenting: These robots enhance or replace human functions. Augmenting robots have sensors that may respond to a human’s brain or other body parts like muscles. Examples of augmenting robots include prosthetic limbs that can help humans with injury or disease regain motor function and exoskeletons that augment physical abilities.
5. Humanoid: These robots have a design that mimics humans, either in action or appearance. Humanoid robots help humans with personal assistance, education, entertainment, manufacturing, research, and search and rescue. Examples of humanoid robots include Atlas, designed by Boston Dynamics, and Sophia, designed by Hanson Robotics.
As evidenced by the different types of robots in use today, the field of robotics offers a wide array of benefits to society as a whole. Standard benefits are:
Increased human safety when robots perform tasks in dangerous environments
Higher workplace productivity when robots handle difficult or repetitive tasks
Greater accuracy at work when robots perform jobs susceptible to human error
Lower costs in the workplace when robots supplement human efforts with longer hours with no need for breaks, and increased accuracy without the element of human error
Reduced loneliness when robots provide personal assistance for people living alone
According to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, adding one robot for every 1,000 American workers reduces wages by .25 to .50 percent. It lowers the employment-to-population ratio by .18 to .34 percent [1]. More drawbacks of robotics include:
An inability for robots to think critically
An inability for robots to manage unexpected circumstances
Lack of empathy when robots perform tasks like customer service
Costs for new robot-related training in workplaces
Security risks associated with robot hacking
It may help to follow certain steps to start a career path in robotics. Consider earning a degree or other credentials, building your robotics skills, and exploring different robotics careers you can pursue.
The degree you get for a career in robotics depends on the field you choose. For instance, a job as an electromechanical technician typically requires an associate degree in electromechanical technology, a computer programmer job often requires a bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology, and a robotics (mechanical) engineer job usually requires a bachelor’s or sometimes a master’s degree in electrical or mechanical engineering.
Extra courses, certificate programs, and certifications can help increase your knowledge of robotics and boost your market potential. If you decide to pursue a career as a robotics engineer, you’ll need to become licensed if you plan to supervise other robotics professionals. Licensing usually involves:
Getting an engineering degree from an ABET-accredited program
Four or more years of engineering-related professional experience
Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
Passing the Professional Engineering (PE) exam
Robotics careers call for a wide range of skills. Common types of skills needed by professionals in this field are as follows:
Analytical skills
Attention to detail
Communication
Coding skills
Creativity
Dexterity
Math skills
Mechanical abilities
Problem-solving
Programming
Writing skills
To get a feel for the type of work you’ll do and the salary you can earn in robotics, take a look at a few positions in the field.
Median annual US salary: $136,620 [2]
Job outlook: Projected job growth of 23 percent from 2022 to 2032 [2]
Job description: Develops, tests, and improves computer software systems
Median annual US salary: $108,530 [3]
Job outlook: Projected job growth of 5 percent from 2022 to 2032 [3]
Job description: Demonstrates knowledge of complex technical products and sells them to businesses
Median annual US salary: $96,310 [4]
Job outlook: Projected job growth of 10 percent from 2022 to 2032 [4]
Job description: Designs, develops, and maintains robots
Consider taking the Machine Learning Specialization on Coursera to start building knowledge and skills for a robotics career. Developed by DeepLearning.AI and Stanford, this highly rated course provides a solid foundation in key machine learning concepts and explains how machine learning helps solve real-world problems. When you finish the course, you’ll know how to apply the concepts and skills you’ve learned and earn a shareable career certificate.
National Bureau of Economic Research. “Robots and Jobs: Evidence from US Labor Markets, https://www.nber.org/papers/w23285.” Accessed March 4, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer and Information Research Scientists, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-and-information-research-scientists.htm.” Accessed March 4, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Sales Engineers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/Sales-engineers.htm.” Accessed March 4, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Mechanical Engineers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm#tab-1.” Accessed March 4, 2024.
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