A robotics engineer is a specialist who builds and maintains robots. Such a professional should have an extensive and deep knowledge of mechanics, electronics and programming. Nowadays, more and more robots and automata appear in various spheres, whose task is to make our daily life as easy as possible or to do what is too dangerous or too difficult for a person.
How did this profession come about?
Since ancient times, people have thought about how to make their work easier, especially hard and monotonous types of work. Back in the 5th century BC, the ancient Greeks invented the science of mechanics and created several mechanical devices that could independently perform simple actions. In 1920, Czech writer Karel Čapek first used the word “robot” in his play “Rosum's Universal Robots”.
According to Chapek's plan, in the future, artificial people (androids) will work for the good of mankind and become its faithful servants. Perhaps the writer wanted to reflect in the play the dream of many 19th century inventors who created androids - but only in a single copy and only on a mechanical basis. Only in the second half of the 20th century, when atomic energy began to develop (the production of energy through the decay of atoms), there appeared full-fledged robotic manipulators that worked with radioactive substances dangerous to humans. One "but" - they still consisted only of mechanical parts.
But the first real robot, which was controlled by electronic systems, was the Lunokhod-1 apparatus in 1966, which in 1970 successfully landed on the lunar surface from the station that brought it there, and conducted studies of the lunar surface. This device was controlled remotely from the Earth. And two years later, robotics at Stanford University designed the first AI robot that could avoid small obstacles on its own. However, the computer that controlled this small device occupied an entire room.
Soon, robotics began working on the development of humanoid robots. Japan has succeeded most of all in this - in 2000 this country presented its first humanoid robot, the famous SDR-ZX, at the ROBODEX exhibition. 20 years later, full-fledged androids are being developed all over the world - with a figure, skin and hair like a real person.
However, androids are most often designed in a single copy, since this is still a "piece goods" and their production is very expensive. Therefore, if you decide to become a robotics engineer, you will be able to create smart devices for a wide variety of activities: military and defense industries, medicine, and various kinds of production. You can simply go to the Boston Dynamics website and see what impressive progress robotics have achieved in dynamics and coordination of movements, creating their four-legged "pets".
A modern robotics engineer creates the mechanics and electronic system of a robot, as well as programs its actions. Robotics also create control systems for the operation of robots, monitor their serviceability, and are responsible for their repair. Let's take a closer look at what robots are being designed in our time.
What kinds of robots can you design?
Robotics for children
To become a high-end robotics technician, you also need to start with something very cool and fun. Did you know that many educational toys for children are based on programmable robots? For example, robotic sets from the famous LEGO constructor. You can choose the specialty of an engineer in the design of children's robotics - to delight the younger generation around the world and lay the foundation for professional education for future colleagues!
Medical robots
Robotics opens up new, previously inaccessible possibilities for the treatment and prolongation of human life. Medical robots are very important - assistant surgeons who perform manipulations during complex operations with the highest precision that a person is not capable of. This eliminates the risk of error on the part of the surgeon and makes the result of the operation more efficient. And the latest developments - microscopic nanorobots - are able to penetrate into the human body, detect diseases of internal organs there and treat them.
Industrial robots
A wide variety of robots help workers in industrial plants create their products - cars, wagons, complex equipment, electronics, household appliances, and much more. There are industrial robots for welding, engineering, picking, packaging and even painting. And another area where industrial robots are actively used is logistics (warehousing and delivery of goods). A new type of robots AGV (Autonomous Guided Vehicle, autonomously controlled vehicle) has recently been used not only inside warehouse premises, but also in delivery services and in large stores. The time is not far off when high-tech drones will be able to cover distances between regions and even countries. Maybe it is you who will help them fly into the sky?
Home robots
Work is work, but do not forget that we still rest and relax at home. And in order not to be distracted by boring household chores like cleaning and devote more time to study, sports and communication with friends, home robots will help you. It is a pleasure to design such devices, especially when you know that you can use one of them right in your apartment or give it to someone close to you. Home robots can do a lot: wash and vacuum an apartment, take care of the garden, even walk the dogs! As experts predict, in 10 years such helpers will appear in almost every home.