Who has not seen the immeasurable strength of the Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Terminator avatar? Or the baffling intelligence of Rajnikant in ‘Robot’? Surely you must have been smitten by the cute looking ‘Wall-e’ or his robot girlfriend ‘Eve’? Or amazed by the power of ‘Iron Man’s ‘Jarvis’?
BUILD A CAREER IN ROBOTICS
From science fiction and graphic novels to action movies and cartoons, robots have always dominated a considerable part of imagination. This imagination, however, has turned into reality with the advancement of technology.
To put it simply, robotics is the study of making and maintaining robots. It’s basically a combination of mechanical and electrical engineering along with computer science. The study of robotics was not customized until recently due to the varied areas of expertise it requires. Students pursuing courses in robotics have to choose whether they are interested in designing the mechanical aspects, writing the computer codes for the robots’ functioning or devising the power and circuitry for them. So, in essence, Robotics is a multidisciplinary study.
The job prospects in robotics are massive but the demand is limited only to the best of the applicants. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, a career in robotics demands that the applicant be accustomed to at least two among the three major disciplines.
Currently, the science of robotics has advanced much further than it was anticipated. Robots are extensively used in military, space & sea exploration and mass manufacturing and even in health and safety related operations. Robot designing, mineral extraction, artificial intelligence, environmental analysis and agricultural instrumentation are some other disciplines in which a robotic engineer can specialize.
Pursuing a career in robotics may not be easy in terms of finance as the best institutes which offer such courses are also the ones which require more money. However, through the various options like scholarships, it may be possible if one has the aptitude combined with passion for the field.
In India, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) are some of the organizations which recruit robotic engineers, apart from Tata and Jindal in the corporate sector.
On the international level, the leading space research organization NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Research Organization) is considered to be on the cutting edge of robotics. According to the US Department of Labour, more than 50,000 job openings are expected in the country over the next few years.
However, based on employment rate, Japan is considered to be a leader in robotics as it employs more than 2,500,000 workers in the robotics industry. According to an article in Times, the nation is looking forward to revenue of more than $70 Billion in the next 10 years with the jobs to cross the one million thresholds.
A career in robotics is not only challenging but also requires the sharpest aptitude which along with the other traits an engineer is expected to have. If you have what it requires then your best bet will be to start early and start smart.
