<p>Hey everyone, I'm a junior in high school and have decided to pursue a Computer Science degree. Lately I've been thinking about robotics. If I get a CS degree will that have anything to do with robots. I know you program them to do things, but would I have to pursue a different degree or can I still take CS and be able to program robots to do things? *******Thanks in advance for the help :)</p>
<p>If you mean a robot like in the movies that is self aware and can direct its own actions…it will need an electronic brain… in other words a computer. It will need to see and understand what it is seeing, it will need to be able to understand human language, it will need to be able to move across an area and avoid obstacles, etc. All of which will require artificial intelligence.
If you mean an industrial robot that repeatedly performs the same tasks or is controlled remotely by a human… there are still computers involved to move its parts, perhaps sense firmness or pressure by ‘touch’, etc. Whatever the application, a computer will be involved. MEs or EEs in addition to CEs or Computer Scientists may also be needed to make it all work.
Yes, robotics and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are sub-disciplines of CS.</p>
<p>thanks, and I did mean like the robots that are aware of there surroundings and can interact with humans, etc… I think I’m going to take a CS course and focus a lot on robotics and AI (Artificial Intelligence). When I do finish though, what kind of Jobs will I be able to get working on or designing robots or devices that will perform those sorts of task…</p>
<p>There should be plenty of industrial jobs that require automation with software, and you could probably find a fair number of R&D positions (advanced degree might be good).</p>
<p>I doubt you’d have too much trouble finding a job working on robots… now, things like C3PO, maybe a little harder.</p>
<p>Look at it this way, the type of robots you are thinking of are really mobile computers.
In the non-futuristic world, more likely robotics involves remote control of UAVs, satellites, or space probes. The Mars rovers are robots too.</p>
<p>Thanks!!! do you know of anything I can get to help me learn how to build and program small robots or devices. Something minor and simple for beginners?</p>
<p>Just some information on the CS degree: the CS degree is typically composed of a bunch of programming, architecture and math courses and a few EE courses. This forms the foundation of your CS degree. There are typically additional electives for you concentration area.</p>
<p>I’d suggest taking a look at the typical course sequence for a CS major at a university that interests you to get an idea of how much stuff you have to take before you get to taking AI courses.</p>
<p>CSboy: Lego Mindstorms would be a good way to start if you haven’t done anything like that before. It might help you decide if you like the CS programming aspect or the mechanical engineering or EE aspects of robotics better.</p>
<p>Our son will be doing robotics by way of mechanical and human-computer interface degrees from Carnegie-Mellon and Toronto. Robotics is multidisciplinary and AI is takes in much more.</p>
<p>Take apart Billy Bass and examine Talking Elmo.</p>
<p>Daniel Webster College in New Hampshire has a “robotics” major, which is actually a CS degree with a couple of robotics electives thrown in senior year.</p>
<p>WPI has a robotics major with weird data on ASEE.org. 100 freshman shrinks to 3 senior year with one degree granted. This could paint two different pictures. Either WPI has a brand new robotics major, so students have not made it into the more senior years yet, or WPI’s Robotic majors have voted with their feet and fled. Worth checking out.</p>
<p>What other schools have hardy robotics programs.</p>
<p>It may be that students go into CS with robotics as a hook and then spend three years studying programming, math, theory and circuits and decide that they’re more interested in traditional CS areas.</p>
<p>The OP or interested readers might also consider getting involved in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competition if it is not too late.</p>