Robotics Industries are improving day by day. Therefore, right now is the best time to learn about it. From that, I mean learn robotics as a career. Whether you are a student or hobbyist. There are plenty of ways you can become the next big thing. However, learning Robotics is not easy at all. You will need to give you time, money and dedication to it.
In the future, robotics is going to become a very vital skill. Therefore, the future of robotics is well and good. Since 2016, there are many events and trends in robots. Companies have been trying to get people’s attention. Nowadays, robots are really in trends. From news to YouTube channels, there are reports everywhere. This year, we’ve seen headlines about drones, self-driving cars, collaborative robots, self-driving cars, and medical robots.
Therefore, it’s safe to say that robotics is a rising field. It’s the best time to learn Robotics right now as in future this skill will be pretty much essential to learn. So, today i am going to teach you the best way to learn robotics. Moreover, learning robotics for beginners too.
I am going to divide this article into a lot of sections. We are going to talk about a lot of stuff. From best robotics methods of learning to best books for learning robotics. This article is going to be pretty huge. So here we go.
Why are you Learning Robotics
We are starting from scratch. Why do you want to learn Robotics? Honestly speaking, a lot of immature people say, “Because it’s cool”. But to be honest, this is pretty wrong. When you choose your passion, you don’t do it because it’s cool. You do it because you have a passion for it.
There can be a lot of circumstances why one wants to learn Robotics. For example, some people want to be a technician. Some people have a hobby of making robots. Maybe you are a student who has a passion for it. Therefore, the possibilities are endless. However, one should know what he/she wants to get out of robotics. Now let’s talk a little about these circumstances themselves.
Hobbyist
If you have this hobby of messing around with robots and developing them. You should definitely go for it. Always go for your passion. What if the hobby is your passion? Wouldn’t it’d be great if you were to work on your hobby? There are tons of ways to develop your knowledge of robots.
If you’ve never touched robots before and want to start it, the Robot Building kit is a great start. Many companies provide starter kits. They are pretty helpful in learning stages. You can literally find thousands of search results for Robot kits on Google. So if you are planning to start out this hobby, definitely check it out.
But here’s a problem. Always buy robotic kits that are configurable and programmable. This is because, in any application of computer science, productivity and creativity is the key to success. The same goes for building robots. If you find the robot a little gimmicky or toy type, never go for it. You can literally start robotics at any level. Let’s talk about these ‘Levels’ now.
Learning Robotics as a Career
When people ask for learning robotics, they often mean which degree or which college they should join. A lot of people have this concept in their minds. Learning Robotics is a little complex. It’s a whole different approach compared to other careers.
If you want to become a Doctor, you’ll probably go to Medicine. If you want to design a building, you’ll go with Architectural Engineering. Therefore, the list goes on like this.
But if you want to learn robotics as your career, you can literally choose from many degrees. You can go to computer science, electronics or maybe manufacturing. There are many options to choose from. Therefore, we will talk about this robotics career in-depth very soon. So stay tuned on our blog.
Learning Robotics for Current Job
Now, if you want to learn to co-work with robots. COBOTS or Collaborative Robots are the ones for you. You might want to learn how to work with them for your job as a technician or computer scientist. In that case, instead of a degree, you will have to focus on learning aspects of Robots. The reason is that you are straight away just going to work alongside them.
This is the only reason you’ll need special robotics training in your whole company or business. That is kind of cool too. There are a lot of companies that provide you with special robotics training. You should definitely join a short practical course for this.
Another way of learning robotics is to join an online robotics community. That will help you a whole lot. You can share your everyday problems on sites like “Stack Overflow”. There are tons of people that will come running to help you. You can also read some articles or buy books to learn robotics too.
Where Should We Start Learning Robotics in 2020?
Now we are going to talk about some of the great ways to learn about robotics in 2020.
University or College
This is the most traditional type of leaning robotics. Simple as that, you just enrol yourself to a college and university. Therefore, this is pretty straightforward. Moreover, another question arises and that is, which university to choose from? The answer is complex. It really depends where you live. But you should choose from the best institutes which provide modern education and high-end laboratories for testing different kinds of robots.
On the other hand, you can also go with Online courses. With technology on its rise, you can expect more and more courses to come on digital media. That includes a lot of websites or even YouTube channels too. Therefore, let’s talk about it.
Online Courses
There was a large bump in the world of online courses. However, the trend didn’t live up to its hype though. But that doesn’t mean you cannot get access to different courses. There are a lot of courses out there which you can still get your hands on. The trick to success is to just have most of the concepts that are taught into those lectures. You really have to give time and dedication to it.
With enough planning and dedication, you can literally learn anything. But if you think that, just taking online courses and not doing anything will work. You’re super wrong. If you want to have a recommendation. Coursera has a great course. The course is approved by “University of Pennsylvania”. Not just that, there are literally tons of online courses you can find. Some of them even provide a certificate too.
Robotics Club
This one is for the hobbyists. If you’re a hobbyist, you definitely will have to gain some hands-on experience with them. Robotics clubs provide you a proper hands-on experience if you want to be. The club is the perfect place for you to meet other people too.
Therefore, you can literally search on Google and find a robotics club place. But they are rare and it really depends on your location. Clubs are made to build a circle. Circle of people with similar interests. In addition to that, there are also experts in robotics present in various clubs too. These members are skilled in programming and robotics.
Training by Companies
For most of the industrial robotics. Manufacturers provide some really good training for learning robotics. For example ABB University and KUKA college. Therefore, if you want to start off, you really can get some great training from big companies or institutes. There are also some third party manufacturers that provide you with some hands-on training with the robots.
Now it a good time to start learning robotics as the technology is rising.
Robotics Communities
You don’t expect learning robotics all by your self, do you? Learning Robotics is like a collaborative project. You learn with experience and experimenting. Therefore, you need a robotics community to make yourself good.
You can find endless robotics community. Just google search it and you’ll be good to go.
Now let’s talk about how to start learning robotics as a career in 2020?
How to start Learning Robots?
As we’ve said before, robotics is an interdisciplinary career. You have many choices. From Biotechnology to Computer Science. You can learn Robotics. Let’s talk about the subjects that are a must in learning robotics.
1. Mathematics
Mathematics is the core subject of learning robots. It’s a must. You must have a good grasp of algebra to actually become a robotics engineer. Robots are all about algebra and geometry. Therefore, Math is a must in learning robotics.
2. Physics
No matter which engineering we go through. Having a sound understanding of science is really important for us. Physics is most important as there are some pretty important core concepts for every engineering. From Programming to Robotics, you need to learn physics of course. There are concepts like, circuits, mechanics and others which are pretty helpful in learning robotics.
Physics also teaches us how to apply the concepts of mathematics into a real-world environment.
3. Programming
Programming is the heart of robotics. You do not expect to make a robot if you don’t know to program. Therefore, learning programming and other computing applications will help you in building your career as a Robotic engineer.
These are the three core subjects you should definitely study if you want to learn robotics. Robotics contains software and hardware. The software side is all engulfed in programming and if we take a look at the hardware, it’s all math and physics. So it’s as simple as it gets. Therefore, you need to study these subjects if you want to learn robotics.
So, which degree you should choose to start as a robotics engineer. There are many options. Therefore, let’s talk about some of them.
Degree for Learning Robotics
You can choose a masters degree in robotics after you graduate. However, that’s a long long wait. You can literally learn robotics with the mixture of some courses. These courses are most recommended because they have the core subjects and all the recommended concepts that you should learn in your journey of being a Robotics Engineer. Therefore let’s move towards the courses for learning robotics.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering is all about building stuff. It has some physical systems which make up a robot. There are many applications of mechanical engineering. Moreover, it teaches us the core concepts of building various stuff. Material Engineering and manufacturing are some of the courses that will provide basic concepts of how to build things from scratch.
Often times, mechanical engineering also offer subjects like mechatronics and robotics. Therefore, for the physical structure, Mechanical Engineering is the way to go.
Computer Science
Computer science it the brain of any machine. A lot of robotic engineers seem to enter this field by the path of computer science. That is because along with the hardware you need brains too. The brains are Computer Programming. No one wants to build a hollow piece of metal that will do nothing. In addition to premium hardware, good AI and programming should also be used. This is the reason why computer programming is a really important course in learning robotics.
These courses have mostly Artificial intelligence and software design courses in them. Therefore, programming is a must in order to get what you want.
Electrical Engineering
This engineering gives some essential concepts like electronics. Of course, when you make a robot, you have to know about all the wiring and that electronic stuff. Electrical Engineering will often provide a specialization in Robotics too. Therefore, electrical engineering is pretty essential for you to learn.
It has concepts of electronics. Rather than looking at how it works or the physical design of robots. Electrical Engineering’s main focus is on learning how to control robots. It has concepts of Electronics, low-level language and control theory too.
Now, if you want to be successful robotics, you can choose one of these degrees. In addition to these, you also have to develop knowledge about other degrees too. That’s how you are going to survive.
Let’s talk about the best resources to learn robotics in 2020.
Best Resources to Learn Robotics
Back in the old times, robots and smart devices were just science fiction. Move over to today, we are living in the era of smartness itself. A quarter of United States households own smart speakers. Sohpia, the humanoid robot was given the nationality of Saudi Arabia.
Robotics has risen a lot. There are no limits to what humans are making. Back in the days, learning robotics was a pretty difficult task. You had to invest a large amount of money. And really no one was really teaching robotics as a subject or degree. At the end of the day, you’d have to learn it all by yourself. Therefore, this is the list best way to learn robotics in 2020.
1. Introduction to Robotics by MIT
This is a course by geniuses at MIT. Moreover, this course teaches you the mechanism of robots, dynamics of robots. In addition to that, it also teaches intelligent controls.
Moreover, the topics include mobile planning, 3D Design, Spatial Kinematics. Moreover, sensors and human-machine interaction is also part of this course. Therefore, this course is must recommended if you want to start off your journey of learning robotics. This book is considered in one of the best books for learning robotics.
2. Robotic TED Talks
You can also watch robotic ted talks. They offer some of the best demos and showcasing of different robots. In addition to that, they always give news about newer and newer robots. So it’s really like news of robots. This evolves your relationship with the robots.
Ted website and shows provide some really distinct knowledge about what you want to learn and how you’ll learn it. There are many video playlists and talks about robots. So if you want to be always relevant with ongoing robotic stuff. You should definitely follow ted.
3. Principles of Robotic Motion by Amazon
This course teaches you a lot. From theory and algorithm to the implementation of robotics. It contains all the basic elements you need to learn in order for learning robotics.
This is also one of the best books for learning robotics in 2020. The main focus of this book is Robotics. From all the applications to actually building circuits for robots, everything is included in this book. It also reflects on the best advancements in the robotic industry that has taken place in the past 10 years or so. So there’s no point not to choose this book It is available on Amazon for around 70$ which is quite worth it.
4. Introduction to autonomous mobile robots
This book teaches you the basic implementations and applications of mobile robotics. It has fundamentals like motors, sensors, and cognitive layers. From mar’s to your home vacuum cleaner, robots are basically everywhere. So if you want to start off as a mobile robotic engineer. This book is great for you. It has many great topics such as locomotion, planning, and navigation.
This book is also available on Amazon and is starting at just 27$.
Putting everything aside, let’s talk about the best YouTube channels you can learn robotics from.
Best YouTube channels to Learn Robotics
1, Great Scott
Great Scott will literally show you all of his DIY projects. From DIY Laptop power banks to teaching 3D printers, this guy rocks. All his videos are well explained and are enjoyable. Therefore, you don’t essentially need to be a lot experienced to understand his videos. You just need to listen to Scott and you’ll be good to go.
2. James Bruton
James Bruton was a former toy designer. Now he’s started a really big YouTube channel. You will find some high-quality content on his websites. From making a robotic batman suit to printing a whole exoskeleton using 3D Printer. This guy rocks. He has some real passion for building robots. His open Dog project is pretty interesting too. He shares his knowledge in a very sarcastic yet great teaching way. Therefore, newbies and everyone should definitely watch his channel.
3. DroneBot Workshop
This YouTube channel contains a lot of content. From Arduino to Robotics, there’s literally everything in there. This channel was created by a pretty friendly guy who shares his passion and tips and tricks to the viewers. Therefore, do check his channel out. There are a lot of interesting videos you will find on his channel.
4. RobotShop YouTube Channel
RobotShop owns a channel known as RobotshopTV. There is a lot of content on this channel. From reviewing the unboxing of different products, this channel is pretty unique. They create a lot of quality stuff for their own YouTube channel. So do check them out if you’re a beginner or advanced. It doesn’t really matter.
Final Thoughts
In addition to everything, I will say that robotics is a rising field. Learning Robotics now will prove to be pretty fruitful in the future. Therefore, if you are a hobbyist of has a passion for robots. You should definitely try out all these resources and things I’ve mentioned above. On top of that, it’s a pretty vast field. Most people get worried just by the fact that learning robotics complex and it’s difficult to learn. But to be honest it’s a pretty wrong thought. With enough passion and dedication, we can literally do anything we want. So you should start by convincing yourself. In addition to that, you should pile up all the motivation.
Motivation is pretty important for this task. Due to the face that it is indeed pretty complex. Therefore, your learning mechanism and time management really matter. Good Luck to all of those who are our future Robotics Engineers.
