What are the core skills in robotics?

When I was growing up, I couldn’t truly comprehend how robots would bring so many practical benefits to functional tasks, that could help automate a range of industries. I think over time I’ve been able to build up a much broader understanding of the diversity, capabilities, and proficiency of robots, that my perception of how I valued the machines and the industries they are helping to innovate — that I now fully appreciate the true value robots bring to contemporary life.

The global robotics market is set to reach $226 billion by 2021, according to market intelligence company Tractica, which is more than six times its current value.

It’s also mind-boggling to me how humans have managed to build machines and computers — that can integrate and be programmed to do incredibly impressive tasks, with accuracy and speed. Learning and having a keen general interest in subjects such as design, engineering, maths will stand you in good stead, but I’ve identified another three wider key skill-sets that would further enhance your proposition.

1. Develop a Programming Mindset

There are over 1500 programming languages in the world. Although you clearly don’t need to learn all of them, a good roboticist will be have ‘The Programming Mindset’. They will be comfortable learning any new language if and when it is required.

In many ways, it doesn’t really matter which programming language you learn first. Each language that you learn develops your proficiency with the programming mindset and makes it easier to learn any new language whenever it’s required.

The main difference between robotics and other programming disciplines is that robotic programming interacts with hardware, electronics and the real world.

If you are a new roboticist, you want to learn the programming languages which are actually going to be useful for your career. The languages listed below would make for a good foundation.

C/C++, Python, Java, C#/.NET, MATLAB, Assembly, Hardware Description Languages (HDLs), LISP, Industrial Robot Languages, BASIC / Pascal

The most important thing is to find a language that feels natural for you and fits with your robotic hardware.

2. Lifelong Learning

There are so many topics within robotics that it is impossible to learn all of them before you need them for a project. Even after a 5 year undergraduate degree in robotics and a 3 year PhD, many only begin to scratch the surface of the respective, extensive areas.

Being good at Lifelong Learning is an essential skill throughout your whole career. Therefore, having a good level of Reading Comprehension and a grasp of the Learning Strategies that work for you personally will allow you to learn new things quickly and easily when the need arises.

3. Systems Thinking

Robots are very complicated systems. Roboticist’s have to be good at mechanics, electronics, electrics, programming, mechanics, sensing and even cognition and psychology. Systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system’s constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems.

A good roboticist is able to understand how all of these different systems work together and is comfortable with the theory behind all of them. Whereas, a mechanical engineer could reasonably say: “that’s a programming or an electrical problem, it’s not my job”, a roboticist must be well versed in all of the different specialisms.

Therefore, skills like Systems Analysis and Systems Evaluation are key to being a great roboticist.

A little more info around robotics core skills can be found here.