You Can Be Anything › All careers › Engineering & Technology

Robotics Engineer

Designs, builds, and programs robots for manufacturing, healthcare, exploration, and more.

Did you know?

Japan's Henn na Hotel, opened in 2015, is in Guinness World Records as the first robot-staffed hotel, with a dinosaur robot at reception.

How subjects help

Mathematics: Calculate the angle of each joint so a robot arm reaches exactly the right spot.
Physics: Choose motors and balance weight so a robot can lift things without tipping over.
Computer Science: Program a robot to read its sensors, spot objects and decide what to do next.

A famous name

Joseph Engelberger: Called the father of robotics; his Unimate became the first industrial robot, used in a GM factory in 1961.

Try it yourself: Measure your sensor delay

Your helper holds the ruler at the top end. Hold your thumb and finger open just below the bottom end, without touching it.
Your helper drops it without warning. Catch it as fast as you can and read the number at your fingers.
Do five drops and write them down. Then try with a "1, 2, 3" countdown, and with your other hand.
Label your body like a robot: eyes = sensor, brain = controller, hand = motor. Which part of the chain do you think takes longest, and why did the countdown help?

Robotics and control engineers measure how long a machine takes to sense, decide and act, because a slow loop makes a robot overshoot or react too late.

Adapted from TeachEngineering (University of Colorado Boulder): Pupillary Response & Test Your Reaction Time.

Also try: Program a paper traffic light.

Known for it in

Japan, USA, Germany, South Korea, Switzerland