“A robot is an autonomous machine capable of sensing its environment, carrying out computations to make decisions, and performing actions in the real world.”
—Source: What Is a Robot? – ROBOTS: Your Guide to the World of Robotics
Robots have frequently been depicted or described in works of fiction. The word “robot” itself comes from a work of fiction, Karel Čapek‘s play, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), written in 1920, the concept has developed in the human imagination long back. We are now at the cusp of a revolution through which robots will give us complete freedom from laborious, mundane tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or even taking care of our kids on the days you aren’t feeling up for it.
What is Robotics?
A robot is an automatic mechanical device guided by a computer program or electronic circuitry which enables it to perform tasks assigned to it. It is a system that contains sensors, control systems, manipulators, power supplies and software, all of which work together.
Robotics is the branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behavior, and/or cognition.
Robotics is design, construction, and use of machines (robots) to perform tasks done traditionally by human beings. Robots are widely used in such industries as automobile manufacture to perform simple repetitive tasks and in industries where work must be performed in environments hazardous to humans. Many aspects of robotics involve artificial intelligence; robots may be equipped with the equivalent of human senses such as vision, touch, and the ability to sense temperature. Some are even capable of simple decision making, and current robotics research is geared toward devising robots with a degree of self-sufficiency that will permit mobility and decision-making in an unstructured environment. It basically involves the concept of Programming, Mathematics, Design, Electronics and much more. It can be summarized as the mixture of all sort of engineering you can name (except a few). But if you are designing a robot for some specific application, you might need to study that particular branch too.
Scope of Robotic Engineering
Robotics engineers, like any other professions in the engineering discipline, will need to be strong in math and sciences. However, most people think that engineers are just whizzes at math and science from the get-go, but that’s rarely ever the case. For most engineers, at least the ones that complete their degrees, they aren’t the people that are best at math naturally, they’re the ones that stuck it out and put in the hard work.
This field has a vast range of job opportunities for the aspiring candidates.”
After completing the degree/diploma or vocational course in this field, you can take jobs in manufacturing, maintenance, research of nuclear power plants and many other areas. Due to the advancement of technology, this robotics technology is used in space exploration, power plant maintenance, automobile industry, Petroleum exploring places, etc.
Plenty of job opportunities are available for robotics engineers both in India as well as in abroad countries. Candidates with M.Tech degree in Robotics can seek job opportunities in space research organizations such as ISRO and also in industries which manufacture microchips.
They can work in robot manufacturers. Robot engineers working for robot manufacturers are sometimes called robotics test engineers or automation system engineers.
Electronics engineers turned robotics engineers will be more adept at the coding and electronics facets of robots. Mechanical engineers will be more adept at the mechanical function and design of robotic machines.
Job Titles:
Robotics Programmers
Robotics Technicians
Robot Design Engineer
Robotics Test Engineers
Senior Robotics Specialist
Automated Product Design Engineer
Agricultural Instrumentation Engineer
Robotics System Engineer
Robotics Testers
Maintenance Engineers
Future Aspects
A course in robotics trains and educates a student in the field of artificial intelligence, computer-aided manufacturing, computer integrated manufacturing system, computational geometry, robot motion planning, digital electronics and micro processing. Robotics is an essential component in many modern manufacturing industries. As the industries increases, scope for robotics also increases. Robots are mainly used for carrying materials including heavy parts to and from inconvenient locations and handling hazardous materials like nuclear waste.
Engineers, who have interest in Robots have bright future. Around 2040, Robots will become part of our life. As today we use our smart phones and laptops, we will use robots (of course for some big and intelligent tasks). As robots will become major part of life, study of them will also very popular.
Pursuing Robotic Engineering in India
The industrial robotics has opened up of several career avenues in India in engineering design, development, research and management. It makes available wide range of entrepreneurial opportunities as well. With combined efforts of the Government, the industrial sector and various training institutes, industrial robotics can grow in India with leaps and bounds and catapult the nation into a fast paid journey of unprecedented progress and development.
The best Engineering institutes in Delhi NCR are coming up with the courses on Robotics. Entrepreneurship oriented Skill development courses have been initiated by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Ministry of HRD, Government of India to promote “Make in India initiative”. These courses will be run by AICTE approved institutes, where apart from technical teaching, trained resources will extensively hand hold students and impart specific skills, making them self-reliant to initiate their own start-ups.
Bachelor of Vocation (B. Voc.) is gaining importance as demand for skill based education is need of the hour. Today’s industry is looking for resources that are ready to deliver from day one of joining. A course in Robotics assures 100 percent placement in top industries of the country in top industries of the country.
“There are an endless number of things to discover about robotics. A lot of it is just too fantastic for people to believe.” Daniel H. Wilson