What’s it like to be an engineer? Robotics in academic engineering education

Abstract

Robotics holds a unique role among the technical disciplines. This role is based on the inter and cross-disciplinary foundations of the field, ranging from areas of the computer sciences such as software-engineering and artificial intelligence, classical mechanical and electrical engineering problems defined by the design of the hardware, to the development of social and team skills in the development of complex problem-solving strategies. In addition, the applications of robotics are far reaching, broadening the scope of problems faced beyond the technological fields. As a result, the field of Robotics allows hands-on teaching of scientific and engineering methodologies at an early stage of the students’ academic education, not limited to basics but integrating state-of-the-art technologies. Add the popularity of robots based on a multitude of robotic heroes and examples from literature and movies and robotics is ideally suited as the object of a project-oriented course for teaching team and communication skills, the development of strategies to solve complex interdisciplinary challenges and different concepts of soft and hardware engineering.