The Importance Of Robotic Education And Circuitry For Students
Robotics as a new academic discipline
Along with the rapid technological progress, mankind has witnessed the fast growth of the robotics industry, which requires more and more well-educated specialists. “Because of the growing demand for robotics engineers, educational institutions throughout the planet should think about engaging students with robots by introducing robotics as a separate discipline,”- suggests Emily Johns, a report writer at Pro-Papers .
As a new discipline, it should provide technical information on a huge variety of engineering subjects, computer science, and so forth. And it should also be aimed at the development of numerous soft and hard skills of learners. Let’s find out exactly what students should be taught in robotics lessons.
Systems Thinking
Since robots are presented as a number of systems working together, to comprehend how they function, students should have solid knowledge in electronics, programming, mechanics, not to mention cognition and psychology. Therefore, as a separate discipline, robotics should not only be focused on delivering this specific knowledge to learners but also teach them how to think systemically so that they have a keen understanding of how different systems relate to each other within a single mechanism.
Programming Mindset
It is hard to imagine a roboticist without well-developed programming skills, which, in fact, are crucial for the industry. No matter whether you design low-level systems or high-level cognitive ones, without programming mindset you cannot do any of these. What differs robotics programming from any other programming discipline is that the first one involves electronics, hardware, and the real world.
Although there are more than a thousand programming languages, there is no need to teach all of them. The main idea behind this discipline is to develop the programming mindset in students so that they can learn whatever they need any time and with ease. And this leads us flawlessly to…
Active Learning
Before one can do a project, he or she should learn a limitless amount of topics. Even with a master’s degree in Robotics, students have only scratched the surface of their field of study in general.
To build a successful career in this field, roboticists should be active learners even upon their graduation. Therefore, it is vital for all to develop effective learning strategies to be able to learn quickly and with ease as soon as the need arises.
Math Skills
It is very challenging, if not impossible, to succeed in the industry without good math skills. A keen understanding of branches of mathematics is of great importance. This is mainly because all robots rely on comprehending and manipulating abstracts, and they usually represent those concepts in the form of equations and functions. With a solid knowledge of geometry, students can get a deep insight into technical drawing and kinematics much easier.
Applied Mathematics
Unlike mathematicians, roboticists always handle math by applying it to real-world situations. Therefore, a well-developed set of skills in applied mathematics will help them to decide on whether the received results of a calculation are good enough to work or not. In fact, these skills are a must for all roboticists, and this leads us to…
Decision Making
The work of roboticists requires the latter ones to make engineering decisions on a regular basis. What language for programming to choose? How many fingers a robot should have? Which sensors to insert? While this occupation is full of choices, there are always many correct solutions.
Since robotics as an academic discipline involves a knowledge base that is wider than that of engineering, roboticists possess a more extensive set of skills. For instance, the ability to think analytically enables roboticists to analyze problems from different perspectives, while the ability to think critically allows them to use reasoning to bring the merits and demerits of every decision to the balance.
Technology Design
For roboticists, it is important to be able to design mechanisms that actually function. Therefore, future experts have to get a deep insight into technology design during robotics lessons. With this knowledge, experts are able to understand why something fails to function properly and to make effective decisions. The main idea behind this is to make it work.
Enhanced Communication
Roboticists always face the need to explain many topics to those who don’t have specific knowledge; therefore, they should always train their communication skills to be able to get on the right side of every recipient. For instance, they often have to explain various programming issues to mechanical engineers or structural problems to computer scientists, and so forth. It is important for students to master their writing and speaking skills to succeed professionally later on. Well-developed instructional skills would be a great addition too.
Problem-Solving Skills
The lessons in robotics should be aimed at developing problem-solving skills in students. Without these competencies, learners will fail to foresee problems and fix them before they arise or solve them effectively when they do arise.
Persistence
This quality is what makes a regular roboticist a good one. For example, without it, it is impossible to find correct solutions to particularly difficult problems or to explain complex topics to non-specialists, and so forth. Moreover, roboticists should be dependable by proving themselves to be as proficient and adaptable as their occupation requires them to be.
As a discipline, robotics is a synthesis of a diverse range of disciplines, including math, engineering, programming, design, and so forth. As many of these disciplines are not taught in elementary and middle schools, it is important to introduce robotics as a separate discipline, which will teach kids the basics of robotics.
Considering the above, no one can doubt the importance of the incorporation of robotics into academia. It is good to start teaching schoolchildren robotics from an early age. This is how we can get them interested in the subject and ensure a bright future for this industry.
