Key skills for a career in Robotics

I've been receiving inquiries from individuals interested in a career in robotics about the skill sets that should be prioritized.So here are a few of the things that came across my mind, which I wanted to share with people who are planning to start a career in the field of Robotics

As you know, Robotics is an interdisciplinary field that relies on multiple areas of study: computer science, mechanical and industrial engineering, and electrical and computer engineering.I'll be giving a general overview and focusing mostly on the skill sets required for developing a successful career in software.

Mathematics

At a minimum, a strong background in several fields of mathematics and science is critical for a successful career in robotics:? At a basic level, robotics relies on being able to understand and manipulate abstract concepts, often representing those concepts as functions or equations. In software development, having a solid understanding of mathematics may save you a lot of time.

Programming

Programming is an essential skill for robotics. As a robotics engineer (software) you should have a good understanding of at least one of the programming languages such as C++, Python, Java, etc. The main difference between robotics and other programming disciplines is that robotic programming interacts with hardware, electronics, and the (messy) real world.

From my experience, if you’re intended to work close to real-time problems? I would recommend having a strong understanding of C++ with OOP concepts.

The Robot Operating System (ROS/ROS2) is a very useful and relevant open-source framework that helps researchers and developers build and reuse code between robotics applications. But one of the incorrect practices I've lately noticed is that newcomers to robotics tend to concentrate more on ROS and its existing/open-source implementations without comprehending the theory/concept behind it.

I will advise you to utilize ROS or any other frameworks that are comparable. Try to comprehend both the theory behind it and the way it is programmatically implemented. This will come in handy when you start to design modules on your own at a later stage.

?Solving Complex Problems

Designing and building functioning technical systems is obviously a critical robotics skill, but it’s just as important to be able to figure out why a system isn’t functioning properly. If it’s a mechanical issue, you’ll need to know the best practices for making a repair. If it’s a software issue, you’ll need to be ready to look for errors or bugs in the code. And if it isn’t immediately clear what the issue is, you’ll need to put your problem-solving skills to work to assess the situation and find a possible solution.

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Team Work

You will work on a team with engineers from other domains, project managers, product developers, etc. Although most robotics work is technical, some soft skills are useful. Several soft talents, such as active listening and communication abilities, are necessary for teamwork.

?Critical Thinking and Decision making

A good roboticist should be able to continually make engineering decisions. For instance, you should be able to decide the right method to program your robot or the right sensors to use. Remember that when working in the robotics industry, you will be faced with so many choices, and yet there is almost no correct answer. Skills in Analytical Thinking will allow you to analyze the problem from various angles while Critical Thinking skills will help you to use logic and reasoning to balance the strengths and weaknesses of each solution.

Active Learning

The field of robotics is always changing. There are new programming languages to learn, new AI concepts to test, and new and more durable materials to work with. Robotics engineer can demonstrate their value by constantly learning about these changes and applying them to new fields of robotics.?

These are a few? of the essential skillsets I think are necessary for pursuing a career in robotics (software)

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