Robot Reviews

Academic institutions may now start filling industry's growing need for people with robotics expertise.

In 2007, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) led the country by becoming the first to offer a BS in Robotics Engineering. This was followed by an offering for a master's program in 2009. The new Ph.D. degree would then make them the first school to offer all three degrees. 

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Robotics courses are highly relevant with the current demands of industry. In fact, by the looks of it, that demand is going to continue to grow. 

Formerly confined to laboratories and manufacturing plants, real robots have now gone mainstream, with robotic vacuum cleaners like the iRobot Roomba leading the way. The start of this year alone saw a surge in the number of companies selling robotic vacuum cleaners. 

Robots have (expectedly) found their way into the military as well. There are robots aiding in bomb disposal operations, surveillance and reconnaissance. 

Robots are also being used in underwater exploration and space operations. It is clear that what used to be a narrow niche is fast becoming a growing field that demands highly qualified experts to fill slots up. This is where formal education in robotics engineering is needed. 

WPI's Robotics Engineering Advisory Board is composed of well-respected practicing experts in the field of robotics. Among them are iRobot Co-founder Helen Greiner (who also founded CyPhy Works) and Bluefin Robotics President David Kelley. That means, the programs' curricula will be geared towards catering the needs of the industry; and hence, providing a more promising future for future graduates. 

The Robotics Engineering program understandably takes on a multidisciplinary approach, with classes in Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineering as well as Computer Science integrated in it.