Robotics ?

Dettol2

I have some friends in engineering courses at uni and they are interested in robotics and they are debating as to which is the best route to robotics (in industry or academia). It seems to me that robotics is a blend of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, and computer science and that anyone of them would be a good route to robotics but I’d like to see which one of these courses most people would consider the best route to it.

Anyone involved in robotics in any way please share your thoughts

Darren1o1

Well i'd imagine that the with mechanical being the more general of the 3courses that it would be the best. BUT there are course that integrate all 3, for instance mechatronics in DCU (http://www.dcu.ie/prospective/deginfo.php?classname=ME). Depends on what you are looking to go into really robotics can be taken as a relative broad subject covering, maths, electronics, programming and mechanics. As such mechatronics is prob the best (that i am aware of) for this covering topics on all four.

dave2pvd

Now this is both over-simplified and over-generalized but it might give you some perspective:

I work for a company that builds custom automation. Usually our machines are 'hard automation' as opposed to off-the-shelf robots. However, when we do use a robot, it is spec'ed by both a mechanical and an electrical engineer.

When it comes to the project/workcell/production line design, the robot component continues to receive attention from both electrical and mechanical. The electrical dept will need to design electrical schematics that incorporate the robot and perhaps begin some offline programming to control it. Safety control design is critical - this must be designed in from the beginning in consultation with the mech designer(s).

The mechanical guys will be designing what the robot bolts on to and taking care of end-of-arm design and perhaps airline/weld cable/sensor routing. The robot itself in many cases would need to be modelled (drawn in 3D) by the mech designer. Adjacent equipment is designed/spec'ed and modelled. Part handling to and from the robot is concepted and designed. Lots more besides...

Once the project starts to be built, the electrical dept takes care of the robot's function. This is the fun part. It's where you get to make the robot come alive. Programming the robot tends to be relatively simple nowdays. A 'teach pendant' can be used to 'tell' the robot what to do. This part is not necessarily the work of an electrical engineer however. Companies that make robots often will demo them or help a client with start-up using an electrical tech, not an engineer. In my company, I would leave a lot of the programming to a senior electrician.

So that gives you one perspective. Another useful perspective would be from someone in a company that designs robots. They will tell you that design is both mech and elec, btw. Yet another perspective would be from a factory that is an end user of a robot...

As for computer science? No. I wouldn't think it's the route to robotics. Although robotics is an awfully broad definition. Keep in mind that elec eng is often very computer/programming intensive.

For what it's worth, I got into this somewhat by accident. I graduated DIT Kevin St with a degree in electrical and electronic eng (1997). My major was power, minor was communications. I took a specialist subject: PLCs. That single subject, chosen on a bit of a whim, determined my entire career. And I don't regret it 1 bit!

Red Alert

Any of the three courses, especially electronic eng would be good. I did my final year project on robotics, and helped out in the first year robotics module in UCD http://www.roborugby.org.

Serious robotics is something you can learn but after 4 years of an engineering degree you'd be well ready for it.

mrac

Red Alert wrote:

Any of the three courses, especially electronic eng would be good. I did my final year project on robotics, and helped out in the first year robotics module in UCD http://www.roborugby.org.

Serious robotics is something you can learn but after 4 years of an engineering degree you'd be well ready for it.

Out of curiosity what course did you do ?

themole

I did Electronic and Computer Eng in NUIG.

This course may be suitable.

A robot is one large embedded system, which this course is aimed specifically at.

It comes down to what you are interested in in the field of robotics. If you are interested in the comtrol/behaviour side of things, then Elec and Comp Eng would be good.

In research building the robot is only one part of it. Much more interesting things are done in designign anf using sensors as well as behaviour.