How to Get Started In Robotics?

The field of mechatronics is evolving tremendously and making incredible strides – thanks to Artificial Intelligence and complex locomotion, the catalysts to the modern robotic revolution. 

That day is not a long way off when highly-intellectual autonomous robots will coexist with humans and transform the healthcare, product manufacturing, education, and entertainment sectors. These incredible inventions of humans, once frolicking in sci-fi fantasies only, are now infiltrating human lives and making us feel like our robot-filled future is here!

In short, robots will transform the way we live at a breathtaking pace. And do you know they’re also loads of opportunities and fun? But how to get started in robotics? Let’s dive deeper. 

What is Robotics?

Robotics is an interdisciplinary study area of advanced engineering and computer technology. It deals with the methods of developing and streamlining the process of conceptualizing, configuring, constructing, and operating fully-functioning devices that can follow human commands either autonomously or semi-autonomously. 

Based on the features and functionalities, a robot can be of different types – pre-programmed, articulated, augmenting, teleoperated, humanoid, and more.

The robotics industry is expected to boom even more in the upcoming years, making mechatronics engineering the most lucrative career option – the robotics engineering job market is forecast to grow by 6.4% from 2016 to 2026 in the United States. 

Is Robotics a Fun Hobby?

As we have already said, designing and building robots are fascinating and fun. However, robots come with hefty price tags. 

While robotics was only accessible to people with higher degrees even two decades ago, the scene has changed now, and anyone having a profound interest can get into robotics. Competitive robotics has made incredible strides recently, enabling hobbyists to participate in robot contests ranging from building autonomous soccer machines to remotely controlled and regulated gladiator robots. 

And guess what? It’s a fun career too. After all, nothing can be more satisfying than turning your hobby into your job, right?

Let’s see why you should get started with robotics:

• Robotics is a diverse field that lets roboticists innovate. You have the chance to work for various manufacturers on robots of different shapes, features, and functionalities. 
• People who love facing and cracking complex issues using their problem-solving skills find a lot of fun in robotics.
• Robotics lets people involved in it collaborate among themselves. So you can improve your communication and teamwork skills and network with people of similar interest.
• Robotics engineering is one of the most high-paying jobs today. While a beginner can earn around 85,096 dollars/year, the annual income of an expert roboticist can be as high as 99,798 dollars/year. 

What Type of People Can Work In Robotics?

Roboticists are learners.

Roboticists are master-of-all-trades – they have to get their hands dirty in almost everything related to robotics, from 3D rendering and CAD designing for matching to operating robots. 

An expert robotics engineer should have great attention to detail in his specialism. But he is a generalist too – he can conceptualize and visualize the ‘big picture’ based on his knowledge and skill base.

How to Get Started in Robotics?

So, are you all set to get started in robotics or even take it as your career? It can be exciting and at the same time, overwhelming. 

There is no magic bullet answer on how you can get started with robotics right away – you will find people following different routes. 

Don’t forget, neither you can start as an expert in anything nor end up having mastery in everything – you must keep discovering new opportunities to learn more and practicing to ace each robotics project you take on. 

Now, let’s unpack everything you should know to get started with robotics:

Learn the Basics

It is not the fun part, yet one of the most significant steps of building robots that can function. 

Before you kickstart a robot construction project, ensure you have excellent command over the key skills – electronics and robot programming. 

You should have sound knowledge about circuits, microcontrollers, Radio Controllers, filters compatible with linear and nonlinear dynamical systems, analog and digital circuit design, DC and servo motors, custom PCB layout, and more to gain essential insights while putting together app-based bots. 

There are plenty of coding languages you can use to program your robot. But if you are new in coding, you can start out with C, C++, and Python. 

An in-depth understanding of the rules and mechanics of robotics and manipulation, ML and neural networks as function approximation algorithms, essential algorithms for motion and path planning, etc., is always a plus. 

And the good news is you can find tons of books and resources online to master robot basics, coding, and electronics. 

Try Out Yourself

Just opt for a robot kit and start building your first-ever robot. A stack of radio controllers, sensors, or motors may seem intimidating at first, but it would be fun to put them together and construct a functioning robot. Plus, kits come with in-depth details and instructions. 

If you are a beginner with no prior coding knowledge, LEGO Mindstorms NXT can be your ultimate choice to jump-start a small project. 

LEGO has made robotics easy for all with its 619 components, three top-quality servo motors, three sensors (color, touch, and infrared), one remote control, and integrated Bluetooth radio. All you have to do is to drag and drop and program LEGO’s NXT ‘brick’ using LEGO graphical coding language, NXT-G – no advanced coding is required. For more avant-garde coding, now you have a handful of languages supported by LEGO Mindstorms.

If LEGO is not what you want, you will find the market loaded with robot kits like SparkFun Electronics, Vex Robotics, and RobotShop having all the components essential to build a fully functioning robot.

Robotics Courses

Different robotic innovations are breaking the ground in the robotics industry. And to outperform others in learning robotics systems and processes, you should enroll in online/offline robotics courses. Such courses can help you collaborate with experts on various projects, enhance your knowledge base and hone your skills. 

Attend Robot Competitions

Whether you build a spinner, cobot, humanoid, drum, or an AGV, to hone your skill standing out from the pack, ensure you enter your bot into robotic competitions. 

If you are into combat robotics where roboticists pit their wits against each other, making their weaponized bots fight in the battle arena, you can participate in contests, like BattleBots, RoboCup, Robot Wars, and more. 

Middle and high school students interested in robot building can participate in competitions like VEX Robotics, B.E.S.T Robotic Design Contest, FIRST: Tech Challenge, etc. Such competitions help them dive deeper into robotics and improve their STEM skills.

Get a Degree

The burgeoning robotics, the recent catchword for many tech-based study areas focusing on helping humans implement smart autonomous devices to make life even easier, sometimes requires you to have some skill sets backed by academic degrees. 

However, robotics is much more than robot designing and construction. 

While designing and building robots may sometimes demand you to be an expert robotics engineer and excel in some specific technical areas, you can even get into robotics without an engineering degree. You have a handful of fun posts to work in the robotics industry. For instance, you don’t have to be a mechatronics engineer to work as a software developer, robotics operator, robotics sales rep, robotic repair technician, etc.

A degree in mechatronics engineering can help you build next-generation robots with ease. It is an emerging multidisciplinary study area that aims to integrate control theory, electronics, computer technology, and mechanics within the design, manufacturing, and function optimization of computer-controlled automated electro-mechanical systems.

While it’s not mandatory to have an EE, ME, CS, or mechatronics engineering degree to become a hobbyist, having one is a plus and can help you take robotics as your career in the long run.