You’re thinking of becoming a robotics engineer, and maybe you’ve even told friends and family what you want to do. But now everyone is asking “Where do you plan to work with that?”. Or maybe you’re asking that question yourself. If that’s the case, don’t be too surprised or worried; there are many people in the same boat.
For the most part, robotics engineers can take on various jobs in robotics design, research, and education. Within these major groups, there’s a large variety of job options.
In the next few sections, we are going to take a look at each of these industries in detail and explain what it means to work in each of them. We’ll also take a look at a couple of real job positions that are available to robotics engineers in these industries. We’ll start with the biggest employer of robotics engineers – Robotics Design.
Robotics Engineers in Robotics Design
Robotics design here refers to all the work involved in putting together an autonomous system with the purpose of doing some physical work, or completing a physical task. The amount of control that is given to the computer separates the design of this kind of system from other more traditional engineering systems. This means engineering coupled with a lot of programming.
Where are you likely to find jobs in this sector as a robotics engineer? Here are a few industries where robotics design is highly valuable.
Automotive Industry
In 1913, Henry Ford put together the first auto assembly line to increase productivity. The system was designed to have workers stationed along the line performing specific tasks repeatedly. He didn’t know it at the time, but he had created the perfect job for robots. Ever since then, auto manufacturers have been looking for more and more ways to streamline this style of manufacturing.
Not surprisingly, much of that stationary repetitive work is now being done by robots. Also, the quality of certain tasks like welds and paint jobs are improved significantly with the use of robots.
Robotics engineers are required to design these systems based on the available resources, and required specifications of the project. Their goal is to figure out how to complete the required task in the safest, most efficient, and most cost effective way possible. At larger scales, this is an extremely complex job, and that’s why each vehicle manufacturing plant will have multiple engineering positions open
An example of such positions is this “Controls & Industrial Connectivity Engineer” position at Ford.
Medical Industry
There’s a massive manufacturing sector of the medical industry more specifically known as the pharmaceutical industry. Similar to the automotive industry, the robots employed in this industry meet the colossal production demands of the medical industry in an efficient and cost effective manner. They also help to limit human error in an industry where mistakes could very easily be life-threatening.
Besides that, there are more general purpose robots being employed in the medical industry. One example is the TUG, an autonomous caddy for medical workers that carries heavy physical loads for them.
Engineers are required in the companies that design and produce these robots, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry to design and set up the manufacturing systems. An example of jobs in the medical industry for robotics engineers is this “Controls Engineer” position at ProMach.
Electronics Manufacturing
Another amazing example of the application of robotics to save time and cost is in electronics manufacturing. As our computing needs continue to increase, the precision required to produce that technology continues to ramp up. For the most part, electronics nowadays require the kind of precision that only robots can produce.
Robotics Engineers design, test, and improve the machines that produce electronic components in such a precise manner. An example of such a job opening from an electronics manufacturer is this “Systems Engineer” position at Samsung.
Food Processing/Food Handling
In the food processing industry, robotics has been employed extensively to meet increasing demand, and to help standardize production, ensuring that certain qualitative standards are met. Similar to the case of the pharmaceutical industry, robots create a more controlled environment, and this helps to reduce the risk of contamination. They are also excellent at optimizing repetitive tasks, and this is highly useful in packaging and even in food handling.
A lot of the time, engineers are responsible for designing these production lines to meet specific needs of each production/packaging plant. They are also needed in the various robotics companies that are researching and producing autonomous robots that are being employed in the food industry. For example, Nuro Inc. is the company that developed Nuro, an autonomous delivery vehicle that is becoming increasingly active in the food industry. They are hiring “Systems Engineers” to join their team of developers.
Robotics Engineers in Robotics Research
This is an extensive field of robotics, as this is still a very new industry. Many people are needed to push the boundaries of what we know robots can do, and discover more ways in which they can be applied. As such, many companies are spending a lot of resources to hire the best minds to improve their research teams. Nuro Inc. mentioned earlier is one of them. Others include iRobot, Fanuc and Boston Dynamics.
Other companies that have robotics research divisions include Amazon, Yamaha, and Nvidia. Robotics engineers are needed at every one of these companies in many different positions. At Amazon for example, they are being hired to develop and improve the software that controls amazon’s extensive fleet of robots.
Robotics Engineers in Education
Robotics engineers have valuable experience that makes them indispensable in the education sector. The work required to train and educate the many people who are taking on a career in the robotics industry is steadily increasing, and robotics engineers can have a huge impact.
Before becoming a robotics engineer yourself, you would interact with many teachers and instructors that will help you gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. In some cases, these teachers are retained right out of school, and they take on a combination of research and teaching at the institution they graduated from. In other cases, after years of industry experience, robotics engineers return to such institutions to train future engineers.
This is not the most common path for robotics engineers, but it is a significant option to consider.
Self Employment for Robotics Engineers
Finally, you can choose to create your own path. The beauty of going this route is that with some creativity, you can engage in either robotics design, research, or education. It could even be a combination of any number of these sectors; the point is that you get to choose.
For example, a new company named Roboto aims to help robotics companies more efficiently analyze and use the data they gather from their robots. In 2023, the company raised $4.8 million in its seed round, and is steadily working towards expansion. It was founded by two former Amazon drone engineers, Benji Barash and Yves Albers-Schoenberg.
It is by no means the easiest or most obvious path open to robotics engineers, and you would have to consider a lot of factors very carefully. However, if you get it right, it will most definitely be worth the effort.
Conclusion
This article has just scratched the surface of the true scope of employment opportunities for robotics engineers. And as the field continues to grow and expand, these opportunities will only increase. So in the spirit of discovery and innovation, explore and think outside the box. If you do, you will be rewarded with exceptional opportunities to apply your skills.