Robotics is an interdisciplinary subject that connects science, engineering and technology to manufacture robots Source: Shutterstock

BTech and MTech courses in Robotics Engineering are available in India

Physics, Chemistry and Maths are mandatory subjects in Class XI-XII to pursue a BTech in Robotics

Worker robots, instead of humans, are being used in different sectors like healthcare, teaching and industrial manufacturing. The pandemic has only accelerated this trend. Now is your chance to join the latest automation revolution around the corner by becoming an expert in Robotics.

What is Robotics

Robotics is an interdisciplinary subject that connects science, engineering and technology to manufacture robots. It involves highly specialised fields like Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cognitive Science, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Depending on the purpose of production, each robot has different autonomy levels, ranging from human-controlled bots to fully autonomous ones that do not need human intervention.

How to study Robotics

You can go for BTech and MTech courses in Robotics Engineering for a head start. These courses are now being offered by a handful of Indian institutes. To study this specific subject, you must fulfil the following criteria:

• For admission to a BTech course, you need at least 50% marks in your Class XII board exams with Maths, Chemistry and Physics as compulsory subjects.
• For MTech, you need a BTech degree in subjects like Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
• You may have to write entrance exams conducted by some colleges and universities. Alternatively, you may also be chosen based on your score in exams like JEE, AIEEE and GATE.

BTech in Robotics Engineering: What is it about?

Robotics Engineering is a specialisation in the field of Mechatronics Engineering. BTech courses in this subject cover modelling and simulation of robots, motion control, algorithm and AI. The courses also include topics from the fields of Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computation. However, such courses are not available at public institutes like IITs and NITs and are only offered by some private institutes in India.

Popular institutes for BTech in Robotics Engineering:

• SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
• M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Science, Bengaluru
• Dr Sudhir Chandra Sur Institute of Technology and Sports Complex, Kolkata
• Roorkee Institute of Technology, Roorkee
• VIT University, Guntur

Popular institutes for MTech in Robotics Engineering

• IIT Kanpur: The Centre for Robotics at IIT Kanpur offers an MTech programme in Robotics. This 2-year course covers the design, testing control and implementation of robotics devices. Enrolment for this course is done based on a candidate’s GATE score.
• IISc Bangalore: The Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber-Physical Systems at IISc Bangalore offers an MTech course in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. The final selection process for this 2-year course is based on your GATE score (70% weightage) and performance in the interview (30% weightage).
• Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT): The Department of Mechatronics, MIT, offers a 2-year MTech course in Industrial Automation and Robotics. You can get admission based on your GATE and Manipal Entrance Test scores.
• IIT Allahabad: IIT Allahabad offers a 2-year MTech in Robotics, an integrated MTech in Robotics and an MTech-PhD dual degree in Robotics through the Robita Facility, a specialised robotics lab. All the courses address topics such as Mathematical Formulation of Robotics, Computational Intelligence and Artificial Life Simulation, Data Mining and Warehousing, and Comprehending Humanoid Robots.
• Jadavpur University, Kolkata: Jadavpur University offers an MTech programme in Intelligence Automation and Robotics through its Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. Only 18 students can enrol in this 3-year programme, which offers a combination of Automation and Cognitive Technology. You can get admission based on your GATE/GPAT/ BE/BTech score.

What to do with a Robotics degree

The automotive industry continues to be the largest sector where robots are largely used. Other sectors like healthcare, food industry and agriculture are increasingly adopting the use of robots. The education sector is also increasingly utilising robots to disseminate knowledge from learning materials.

Here are some of the roles for a Robotics professional:

Robotics engineer: These engineers use computer-aided design and manufacturing systems (CAD/CAM) to design, build and test robots. They work with other technicians and robot manufacturers.

Robotics technician: They are responsible for the designing and manufacturing of robots. They also take care of the maintenance, repair and installation of robots.

Robotics programmer: Such programmers assist design engineers to build and assemble robots, repair or reassemble defective parts, develop and install programmes, and test the performances of robots.

Robotics scientist: Robotics scientists work in the field of research, development and design of new Robotics systems. It’s their job to ensure that each robot is safe to handle, cost-effective and functioning properly.

Robotics design engineer: They are responsible for designing and developing the components of robots. They evaluate how consumers would interact with a robot and accordingly build a system that’s best equipped to meet those needs.

Software developer: These professionals are in charge of developing the software that allows each machine to function. They also stay in touch with emerging technologies and trends to reconfigure existing robotics software as and when needed.