IoT, the most unheard and underrated topic, even a few decades back, has now become a buzzword. It is forecast that day is not a long way off when the IoT industry will be booming with billions of smart machines and devices and make human life and workspace largely dependent on automation – AI, complex locomotion, and robotics will be on top of these innovations and shape the future.
With every sector of human life, be it logistics, industrial manufacturing, healthcare, or space exploration, trying to get modernised, robot usage is shooting up. The result is, the requirement of robotics engineers is skyrocketing.
Now, what do you need to be a robotics engineer? To learn more about roboticists’ skills and job requirements, read on.
Who is a Robotics Engineer?
Robotics engineering, a subset of mechatronics engineering, is a multidisciplinary study area that bridges mechanics, Artificial Intelligence, electronics, computer technology, and Machine Learning and deals with developing robotic systems, algorithms, and robot software. With appropriate programming, robots can interact with the surrounding physical system and react accordingly to perform specific tasks.
A robotics engineer implements the knowledge of robotics engineering to construct autonomous or semi-autonomous robots that can function properly.
While an autonomous robot can act independently for a fixed period without recourse to human command, a semi-autonomous one has a particular degree of self-governance. For instance, an autonomous machine, like Roomba the vacuum cleaner, can perform intricate activities itself, needing no human intervention or wires. For instance, you do not need to plug it into an electric source as it can charge itself when required.
Since the mid-1990, various sectors, including medical, space research, production, etc., have been employing robots at scale to bolster business efficacy and modernise the way they perform. And the upward curve of using robots will continue to propel the demand for competent specialists to staff roboticist positions.
How the robotics engineering job field is flourishing can be better understood by a survey conducted by The BLS (The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). It says that the job market opportunities for roboticists will increase at a staggering 9% adding approximately 25,300 new jobs over the forecast period of 2016-2026 in the USA.
Why become a Robotics Engineer?
- Diverse Opportunities: The skyrocketing use of robots in various business sectors indicates how tremendous opportunities a roboticist has to explore and learn more. For instance, you can be hired by private companies that use robots for automating and optimising their business operations. More interestingly, if working for leading space research organisations like NASA, ISRO, etc., is your long-cherished dream, enrol on robotics engineering, hone your skills, and chances are, you can be hired by them. If you love to innovate, face challenges of solving complex problems, and play with advanced machines and the latest technologies, robotics engineering should be your ultimate choice.
- High Salary: Roboticists are in high demand and paid a hefty salary that makes robotics engineering one of the most lucrative careers. However, there is no magic bullet answer to how much a robotics engineer makes monthly as the salary depends on various factors – their experience level, designation, hard and soft skills, location, the company they are working for, and more. For instance, while an entry-level roboticist can make around £31,500/year with a substantial growth potential, an experienced engineer can be paid up to £60,000/year in the UK.
- Collaboration Opportunity: Thanks to advanced robotics engineering that requires teamwork and cross-departmental collaboration and thus brings every section of a company to one table. Dealing and communicating with specialists from different professions and study backgrounds help you master collaboration skills and network with specialists who have identical skill sets as yours.
Responsibilities of Robotics Engineers
Anyone involved in robotics engineering generally falls into any of the following skill sections:
- CAD Design: Robotictists working in this sector are responsible for designing the blueprint of robot systems, figuring out the pitfalls, and improving the drafts using CAD software. Though there is a wide range of CAD options available, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Auto Desk Inventor, AutoCAD, and Blender are preferred by expert roboticists. Once the design is done, a roboticist has to verify and simulate it using CAE software like MATLAB and Simulink.
- Robot Building: Besides designing, roboticists also have to build the robot manufacturing methods and tools and construct the robot structure. It means they should have mastery over cutting-edge Additive Layer Manufacturing and 3D printing platforms, for instance, 3DP or Roboze, to fabricate the designs efficiently.
- Research & Development: Being at the forefront of the R&D of a robot manufacturing team, roboticists often have to revise, redesign or modify a robotic system and ensure making a fully-functioning machine with all expected capabilities.
What to Do to Become a Robotics Engineer?
Get an Education
Obviously, you have to master high-level programming skills, but having a Bachelor’s degree in relevant disciplines like electronic, mechanical, or mechatronics engineering is paramount to becoming a roboticist.
While mechanical engineering helps robotics engineers better comprehend physical and material science and high-level mathematics to construct robot manufacturing tools, opting for a degree in electrical engineering teaches them to understand how modern nanotechnology and semiconductors operate. Thus they can design robotic circuitry systems expertly. Mechatronics, the superset of robotics, merges software engineering, electronics, and mechanical engineering. It means that all robots are actually mechatronic. So, if you plan to be a superstar in developing and designing autonomous robots, mechatronics engineers should be your ultimate choice.
Hone Your Programming Skills
Pinpointing what programming languages a robotics engineer should be expert in is a bit challenging. However, most advanced industrial robots run on high-level robot languages like KRL (KUKA), JBI (Motoman), RAPID (ABB), and Karel (Fanuc), and the language is unique for each robot manufacturer. It means roboticists working with robotic machines from different companies should have expert knowledge of these widely used proprietary programming languages.
Gain Work Experience
Have you completed your Bachelor’s degree in one of the relevant subjects mentioned above and are all set to hit the ground to work as a robotics engineer? Congratulations! As a fresh graduate, chances are, you would be recruited as an entry-level employee. You can sharpen your teamwork, technical and communication skills and prepare yourself for high-paying positions.
Earn Certifications and Higher Degrees
The more experience and academic and technical proficiency you can prove, the more chances you have to get hired for high-ranking robotics engineering posts. For example, different credentials such as CMA, CRT, CREA 1 and CREA 2 offered by NRTC demonstrate your eligibility to join a robotics and intelligent workforce.
Again, though it is not mandatory, you should opt for pursuing a postgraduate or Ph.D. degree to gain in-depth knowledge about the subject, considering the upturn in career opportunities.
