The Range of Robotics Careers

Engineers come up with ideas and designs, but it is the technicians who get their hands dirty solving the problems of making those ideas work in the real world. According to the Center for Occupational Research and Development, technicians can be responsible for such tasks as installing and setting up robots, automated systems, computer systems, and programmable controllers. They measure robot performance and accuracy, as well as repair and test robots and automated manufacturing systems. The different specialties a technician can study include robot mechanics, electronics, production, manufacturing, machinery, engineering, and electromechanical and automation repair.

Technicians are needed both where robots are built and where they perform their programmed functions. While most technicians are employed by large manufacturers such as automakers and electronics and consumer goods producers, others are needed in the space program, law enforcement, and the service industry.

Like engineers, technicians should have a background in math and the sciences. In their youth, they will probably have shown an interest in mechanical and robotic toys and models. Technicians must be able to handle work tools and analytical instruments. They must have the patience and persistence to solve difficult problems and provide creative solutions to technical challenges.

A crucial contributor to the creation of a working robot is the computer specialist. Computers are at the heart of every robot, carrying the programming and instructions that animate it and make it perform its tasks. Specialists design, program, and implement the computer systems, seeking ways to make computers smarter and better able to act independently of human oversight. They will also work on the problem of artificial machine intelligence, finding ways for computers to mimic human emotional responses.

But before anyone starts building robots that can explore the ocean floor or navigate their own way to Mars, years of training and education must first be acquired.