Robotics Engineer

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A robotics engineer could...

Overview Listen to this section

Have you watched "The Transformers" cartoon series or seen the "Transformers" movies? Both shows are about how good and evil robots fight each other and the humans who get in the middle. Many TV shows and movies show robots and humans interacting with each other. While this is, at present, fantasy, in real life robots play a helpful role. Robots do jobs that can be dangerous for humans. For example, some robots defuse landmines in war-stricken countries; others work in harsh environments like the bottom of the ocean and on the planet Mars. At the heart of every robot is a robotics engineer who thinks about what a robot needs to do and works with several engineering disciplines to design and put together the perfect piece of equipment.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Robotics Engineer?

1. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
2. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
3. Systems Analysis: ? Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
4. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
5. Complex Problem Solving: ? Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

6. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
7. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
8. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
9. Active Learning: ? Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
10. Mathematics: ? Using mathematics to solve problems.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Robotics Engineer might do:

• Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates.
• Process or interpret signals or sensor data.
• Debug robotics programs.
• Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.
• Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters.
• Provide technical support for robotic systems.
• Design end-of-arm tooling.
• Design robotic systems, such as automatic vehicle control, autonomous vehicles, advanced displays, advanced sensing, robotic platforms, computer vision, or telematics systems.
• Supervise technologists, technicians, or other engineers.
• Design software to control robotic systems for applications, such as military defense or manufacturing.
• Conduct research on robotic technology to create new robotic systems or system capabilities.
• Investigate mechanical failures or unexpected maintenance problems.
• Integrate robotics with peripherals, such as welders, controllers, or other equipment.
• Evaluate robotic systems or prototypes.
• Install, calibrate, operate, or maintain robots.
• Conduct research into the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of robotic mechanisms, components, or systems, such as planetary rovers, multiple mobile robots, reconfigurable robots, or man-machine interactions.
• Document robotic application development, maintenance, or changes.
• Design automated robotic systems to increase production volume or precision in high-throughput operations, such as automated ribonucleic acid (RNA) analysis or sorting, moving, or stacking production materials.
• Write algorithms or programming code for ad hoc robotic applications.
• Make system device lists or event timing charts.