All about the field of robotics

To view a visual version of this article visit robotics.malekhammoud.com.

INTRODUCTION

Robotics is the design, construction, operation, and application of robots. The field of computer science makes robots smart—from computer vision to if statements—and amazing technology comes together to do cool things.

Societal Impacts

Job Displacement & Creation

Robots have the power to destroy jobs and create new ones. This will have a massive impact on society as a massive amount of people will have to upskill to be able to make a living.

Improved Quality of Life

Robots increase efficiency; the same number of people are able to do more. This increases the quality of life as there are more products/services to go around.

Education & Skill Development

STEM fields like robotics are driving the push for integrating STEM in the classroom. An example of this is teaching programming in math classes.

Robot Dependency

As robots become more common, humans will become more dependent on them. In the future, skills like washing dishes and cleaning floors will become nonexistent.

Economic Impacts

Increased Productivity & Efficiency

As mentioned above, robots will increase productivity. This increase in productivity means you can do more with your dollar. Companies will enjoy cost reduction, and consumers will enjoy a reduction in price.

Industry Shifts

Entire industries will change. For example, self-driving vehicles might put taxi drivers out of business.

Global Competitiveness

Countries that invest in robotics will enjoy the long-term economic advantages, while countries that don't will fall behind.

Ethics

Job Displacement and Economic Inequality

Is replacing humans with robots ethical? Some people think it's unethical and some people think it's not. People are replaced by robots and the ones to gain. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Bias in AI and Autonomous Systems

AI has bias; this bias gets translated into robots. The robots perform real-world actions which impact real people. An example of this is a self-driving car about to crash—will it crash into an old person or a young one? AI won't be able to think ethically and this results in potential unethical behavior in certain conditions.

Privacy and Surveillance Concerns

Robots like drones have the potential to spy on people. As these drones get smaller and quieter, it becomes harder and harder to tell if someone is spying on you.

Autonomous Weapons and Warfare

Robots and AI are the future of warfare. If you don't use technology you fall behind and lose the war. This results in a push to automate every aspect of warfare, including making decisions to kill people. Robots are going to kill people in war. They are already doing so.

Moral and Legal Accountability

If an autonomous robot causes harm (e.g., a self-driving car crashes), who is ethically responsible? This question is very hard to answer and might result in the legal system punishing the wrong people.

Careers in Robotics

Robotics Engineering

  • Role: Designs, builds, and maintains robots.
  • Skills: Mechanical design, control systems, embedded systems, and AI integration.
  • Education: Bachelor's or master’s degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mechatronics.

AI and Machine Learning Engineer

  • Role: Develops AI-driven robotics.
  • Skills: Neural networks, deep learning, reinforcement learning.
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Software Engineer for Robotics

  • Role: Writes the code that controls robotic movements
  • Skills: C++, Python, ROS (Robot Operating System)
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Robotics.

Mechatronics Engineer

  • Role: Integrates mechanical, electrical, and software components in robots
  • Skills: Circuit design, microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, and control systems.
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering.

Biomedical Robotics Engineer

  • Role: Develops robotic prosthetics, exoskeletons, and surgical robots.
  • Skills: Biomechanics, medical imaging, control systems.
  • Education: Biomedical Engineering, Robotics, or Mechatronics.

Education Pathways for Robotics Careers

  • High school: Join technical clubs, take English, Physics, Math, and Chemistry (apparently chemistry is a requirement).
  • University: Get a Bachelor's in engineering or Computer Science.
  • Post University: Become a lifelong learner, e.g., take courses on Coursera

A paper:

This is a paper I wrote about a robotics project, enjoy!