I’ve recently been accepted to the university of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and am about to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. I’m interested in doing work with robotics and hope to do research at a university as my career path. I am curious about what would be the best way to go about doing this. Is it required/reccomened that I pursue a graduate degree?
You’ve got to time truly explore this option (it’s a difficult path), but your number one consideration should be to get some experience in a research lab as an undergraduate. Find a professor doing research you find interesting and see if they have an opening. When the time comes, if you are still interested in graduate school, that will set you up nicely.