Robotics engineer

Earnings (Yearly Median): $104,600 (O*NET OnLine, 2022)

Employment and Outlook: Little or no change (O*NET OnLine, 2021-31)

O*NET-SOC Code: 17-2199.08

Related Career Clusters: Architecture & Construction; Information Technology; Manufacturing

Scope of Work

Robotics engineers research, design, and construct robots for various tasks in industry and manufacturing. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, robotics engineers primarily applied their trade to space research and exploration, medicine, agriculture, mining, and the military. Service robots perform jobs that humans cannot because the jobs are too dangerous (the Gemini-Scout mine rescue robot) or too distant (NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars). Some companies, such as Amazon, even use robots in their warehouses to perform stocking and assembly-line work that laborers previously performed.

Robotics engineers oversee the construction of robots from design blueprint to operation, performing tests throughout to measure the robot’s effectiveness. Engineers need to be able to think creatively to develop robots that can accomplish a growing number of tasks. Still, they must be comfortable with the complex mathematics required to construct a working robot. Robotics engineers use various tools, including computers, drafting software, and hand tools, to complete their work

Education and Coursework

In high school, aspiring robotics engineers are encouraged to take advanced mathematics, computer science, and physics courses. Secondary schools typically do not offer robotics courses, but several robotics competitions are available to high school and even middle school students. VEX Robotics and the Technology Student Association (TSA) sponsor the annual TSA VEX Robotics Competition, a robot-building competition for middle- and high-school students, and the nonprofit group FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) sponsors several robotics competitions for young people ages six through eighteen.

Robotics engineers must hold a bachelor’s degree in robotics engineering or a related field, such as electronic or mechanical engineering. Although it is more common for colleges to offer majors in the latter two areas, many colleges also offer individual courses in robotics. Industrial engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, and computer science are also applicable. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is the organization that accredits all postsecondary programs in engineering and applied science. Undergraduate students studying robotics will likely focus primarily on technical aspects such as mechanical systems, electric circuits, and automation controls. Robotics engineers with bachelor’s degrees can become technicians and machine controllers.

Some robotics engineers pursue a master’s degree to further their career or earn a higher salary. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts was the first postsecondary school in the United States to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in robotics engineering. The majority of students working toward their master’s degree will use computers to learn higher-level design techniques and will take courses in computer and engineering theory.

As with most scientific fields, research is an essential component of a degree in robotics engineering. At WPI, for example, graduate professors and robotics professionals research and teach specialized branches of the field, including artificial intelligence (or human-robot interactions), biomechanics, robot kinematics and dynamics, and sensors and manipulation. Many robotics engineers who graduate with a master’s degree opt for careers in robotics design. Those who pursue a doctorate will continue to research relevant topics in robotics. They typically choose careers in research or academic capacities.

Career Enhancement and Training

Robotics engineers are usually required to obtain a license before entering the field. After graduating from an ABET-accredited program or during a student’s last year of school, candidates for licensure must take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) in conjunction with individual state licensing boards.

To be certified as a professional engineer (PE), robotics engineers must gain at least four years of work experience in the field and then pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. NCEES also administers the PE exam and tests an engineer’s abilities in their field. There is no exam for robotics, but other PE exam focus areas include electrical engineering and electronics, control systems, industrial engineering, mechanical systems and materials, and software. The FE and the PE exams are eight hours long and comprise both a morning and an afternoon session. The PE exam is open-book, meaning test takers can bring reference materials, but the FE exam is not open-book. Robotics engineers must continue to earn education credits to maintain their engineering license.

Daily Tasks and Technology

Robotics engineers work in several capacities and use various technologies to complete day-to-day tasks. Two computer systems—computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)—are integral to the design and manufacture of robots and robotic systems and the manufacture of goods. CAD is a complex system, and many institutions offer an associate’s degree in computer-aided design and drafting.

CAM has revolutionized the manufacturing industry. The program allows industrial tools, such as milling or welding machines, to be controlled by computers. Since the mid-twentieth century, manufacturing companies using CAM have evolved to become highly automated, thus allowing for greater precision and consistency of output.

Robotics engineers work in a variety of settings, including industrial plants and computer laboratories. Communication and writing skills are essential because robotics engineers usually work in teams. Like most careers in engineering, robotics engineering requires a mind that is both mathematical and creative. Engineers and designers must have the imagination to envision automated systems that can perform the same tasks as humans and the technical and computation skills necessary to bring those visions to life.

Earnings and Employment Outlook

Regardless of specialty, a robotics engineer’s annual salary is significantly higher than the national average. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not compile information specifically regarding robotics engineers' salaries and job growth, it projects a 10 percent growth in employment for all mechanical engineering occupations not specified elsewhere (which includes robotics engineering) from 2022 to 2032. An increasing number of colleges and universities are offering courses in robotics as the commercial appeal of automation and robotics systems increases, and the potential for job growth in the field is promising as technological advances are made.

Though debate outside of the field of robotics has focused on issues surrounding the need for employment for workers replaced by robots, one thing is certain: an increased demand for automation and robotic systems can only mean more work for robotics engineers.

Related Occupations

• Aerospace Engineers: An aerospace engineer may create new technologies for either aircraft or spacecraft.

• Computer Hardware Engineers:Computer hardware engineers oversee the production of faster and more efficient computer technologies, and they design new software and test computer equipment.

• Biomedical Engineers:Biomedical engineers design devices or products specifically for medicine, including artificial organs and computer software for X-rays.

• Electricians:Electricians often work independently to design, install, and repair electrical systems in residential and industrial settings.

• Mechanical Engineers:Mechanical engineers oversee the development of mechanical devices, such as tools, engines, and machines, from the initial design of the device to its construction.

Future Applications

Sandia National Laboratories of Albuquerque, New Mexico, announced in 2011 that its robotics engineers had developed a robot that could aid first responders in mining accidents. Named the Gemini-Scout mine rescue robot, it is designed to move through obstacles such as fallen rubble and water and is equipped with a thermal camera to locate survivors and carbon monoxide sensors to alert rescuers to potential dangers. Further, NASA successfully landed the Curiosity rover on the planet Mars. The rover uses a customized navigation software version called Field D* developed by engineers at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The software maps the rover’s course as it approaches new terrain. Curiosity can then retrace a route or program a new one autonomously.

The applications of robotics engineering continued to evolve in the twenty-first century, with healthcare, manufacturing, communication, education, and other industries finding the technology invaluable. In many ways, the future of robotics is tied to the future of industry and exploration. Amazon is responsible for shipping thousands of products across the globe and uses robots to meet its incredible demand. Other companies like Lowe's and Target followed suit by using robots to keep track of product inventory or lead customers to items in the store. Some have pointed to increased interest in automation as the first step toward a future where humans will be irrelevant and easily replaced by machines. Others argue that behind every efficient robot or automated system is a team of human robotics engineers. Thanks to the robots developed by those engineers, humans can achieve many things they would otherwise be incapable of doing.

Bibliography

"17-2199.08 – Robotics Engineers." O*NET OnLine. Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, 29 Aug. 2023, www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2199.08. Accessed 7 Sept. 2023.

Spice, Byron. "News Brief: CMU Software Helps Guide Curiosity Rover on Mars." Carnegie Mellon University, 8 Aug. 2012, www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2012/august/aug8‗curiosity.html. Accessed 7 Sept. 2023.

Underwood, Corinna. "Robots in Retail—Examples of Real Industry Applications." Emerj, 11 Mar. 2020, emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/robots-in-retail-examples. Accessed 7 Sept. 2023.