The National Foundation for Educational Robotics surveyed senior executives in 2015: 81% of respondents noted robotization as the main reason for employment growth. Demand for smart factories is growing all over the world and the need for robots is emerging.

According to the online publication Nearshore Americas, smart manufacturing will contribute about $500 billion to the global economy in 2017. In a survey conducted by technology consulting firm Capgemini, more than half of respondents said they had invested $100 million or more in smart factory initiatives over the past five years. The study concludes that by 2022, at least 21% of manufacturing enterprises will become intelligent.

The U.S. Bureau of Statistics (BLS) reports that companies have implemented 136,748 robots on production lines over the past 7 years. The BLS also determined that 894,000 new jobs were created as a result of automation. The authors of What to Do When Machines Do Everything, Malcolm Frenk, Paul Roehrig and Ben Pring, suggest a similar trend: over the next 10 to 15 years, 19 million jobs will be lost due to automation, but 19 million new jobs will also be created. thanks to automation.

In short, new opportunities are opening up for robotics engineers right now, and with them new horizons in education and self-education.

The potential of professions related to robotics

In April this year, the Association for the Advancement of Automation (A3) said that 80% of manufacturers report skills shortages that will cause an 11% loss of annual revenue. However, new automation technologies improve productivity and help create better products. And this, in turn, allows entrepreneurs to develop their business and increase jobs.

The A3 report noted that robots are increasing productivity at the same rate as the steam engine: 0.35% per year. Amazon is a great example of how robots are increasing jobs. In 2014, Amazon Robotics had 45,000 full-time employees. And three years later, that number had doubled to 90,000.

Production facilities are equipped with robotics, but a robot can automate tasks, but not the entire process—in any case, people must manage robots. If the number of machines in factories increases, then the number of skilled workers needed to program, operate and maintain these robots will also increase.

For students

For a young engineer who wants to enter robotics, there are key areas of research to focus on. Robotics is an interdisciplinary field that combines several fields of technology, including mechanical engineering, computer programming and electrical engineering.

In high school, a future robotics engineer needs to study mathematics and physics in depth. These basic subjects form the basis of many robotics courses. Also, already in high school, you should take courses in programming, design and become familiar with production machines.

At the university level, many educational institutions offer robotics as an independent field of study. There are three key areas:

Body (mechanical engineering). A mechanical engineer is responsible for the physical system: parts of robots (such as motors and drives). Safety measures and operational protocols also apply to this branch of technology.
Nervous system (electrical engineering). This electronic foundation of the robot includes embedded systems, low-level circuit programming, electrical resistance, and control theory.
Brain (computer engineering). This group focuses on software language rather than hardware, covering topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

In Russia, many universities prepare bachelors in the field of “Mechatronics and Robotics”, as well as in related disciplines. Here are some of them:

MSTU im. N.E. Bauman
TPU - National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
TSU - National Research Tomsk State University
SPbSPU - St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University
UrFU - Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin
SPbNIU ITMO - St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics
FEFU - Far Eastern Federal University
NRU MPEI - National Research University "MPEI"
BSTU named after. V. G. Shukhov - Belgorod State Technological University named after. V. G. Shukhova
MSTU STANKIN - Moscow State Technological University "STANKIN"

Russian robotics manufacturers are interested in high-quality training for future engineers. The Promobot company has developed several robotics courses for schoolchildren. The company is currently developing a universal robotic platform, Promobot, based on its own Software Developer Kit (SDK). The platform allows engineers from all over the world to write new functional modules for the robot, teach Promobot new work scenarios and customize it to suit the needs of their business. Based on the Promobot SDK, educational programs are developed and implemented for Russian and foreign schools and technical universities.

For professionals

In recent years, many robotics companies have created their own certification programs to facilitate training. Some of them have created universities and educational programs on their own robotic platforms.

Universal Robots is one of the major sellers of robots. The company has its own training platform - Universal Robot Academy. Major robot manufacturers such as Kuka and FANUC offer certification programs. The Kooka Official Robotics Education (KORE) program is designed for teaching in high schools, colleges, universities and vocational schools.

Online courses from companies such as Bosch, Kuka, iRobot and Lockheed Martin are featured on the online learning platform Udacity. Udacity is a new online learning platform that aims to provide affordable education online. Courses are created by education professionals and sponsored by major companies in the industry.

One of the largest platforms is EdX. Here, for example, you can take a course from Columbia University on robotics or courses from MIT. There are also platforms for Russian-language courses, for example, Coursera,

Roboticist(Czech. robot from robota- forced labor and rob- slave) - a specialist in the development of robots and their maintenance. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in physics, mathematics, drawing and computer science (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

Features of the profession

Robotics(robotics) is an applied scientific branch dedicated to the creation of robots and automated technical systems. Such systems are also called robotic systems (RTS). Another name is robotics. This is the name for the process of creating robots, by analogy with mechanical engineering. Robots are especially needed where it is too difficult or dangerous for a human to work, and where every action must be performed with superhuman precision. For example, a robot can take soil samples on Mars, defuse an explosive device, or carry out precise assembly of a device.

Of course, each type of work requires a special robot. There are no universal robots yet. All robotics can be divided into industrial, construction, aviation, space, underwater, and military. In addition, there are robot assistants, robots for games, etc.

The robot can work according to a pre-developed program or under the control of an operator. There are no robots with independent thinking and motivation, with their own emotional world and worldview. It's for the better.

Robotics is related to mechatronics.

Mechatronics is a discipline dedicated to the creation and operation of computer-controlled machines and systems. Mechatronics is often referred to as electromechanics and vice versa.

Mechatronics includes computer-controlled factory machines, unmanned vehicles, modern office equipment, etc. In other words, devices and systems designed to perform a specific task. For example, the task of an office printer is to print documents.

What is a robot essentially?

As the name itself suggests, the robot was initially envisioned as a human resemblance. But pragmatism takes over. And most often, the robot is assigned the role of a technical device, for which appearance is not of great importance. At the very least, industrial robots are not at all like people.

However, robots have a feature that unites them with all living beings - movement. And the method of movement sometimes quite clearly copies what is found in nature. For example, a robot can fly like a dragonfly, run along a wall like a lizard, walk on the ground like a human, etc.

(See video at the bottom of the page.)

On the other hand, some robots are specifically designed for the emotional response of people. For example, robot dogs brighten up the lives of people who don’t have time for a real dog. And plush “babies” ease depression.

The time is not far off when, among other household appliances, we will have robots that help with housework. Personally, I would prefer a servant in the form of a smiling plastic cocoon on wheels. But someone will probably want their robot majordomos to look like real people. Amazing progress has already been made in this direction.

Building a robot is what it does roboticist. More precisely, robotics engineer. He proceeds from what tasks the robot will solve, thinks through the mechanics and electronic parts, and programs its actions. This kind of work is not for a lone inventor; robotics engineers work in a team.

But a robot must not only be invented and developed. It needs to be maintained: to manage the work, monitor its “well-being” and repair it. This is also what a roboticist does, but specializes in maintenance.

Modern robotics is based on mechanics, electronics and programming. But, as science fiction writers suggest, over time bio- and nanotechnologies will be widely used to make robots. The result will be a cyborg, i.e. a cybernetic organism is something between a living person and a robot. In order not to be too happy about this, you can watch the movie “Terminator”, any part of it.

The beginning of the history of robots

The word "robot" was coined by Karel Capek in 1920 and used it in his play "R.U.R." (Rossum's Universal Robots). Later, in 1941, Isaac Asimov used the word "robotics" in the science fiction story "Liar."

But apparently, the Arab inventor Al-Jazari, who lived in the 12th century, can be considered one of the first roboticists in human history. Evidence remains that he created mechanical musicians who entertained the public by playing the harp, flute and tambourines. Leonardo da Vinci, who lived in the 15th-16th centuries, left behind drawings of a mechanical knight capable of moving his arms and legs and opening the visor of his helmet. But these outstanding inventors could hardly imagine what heights technology would reach in a few centuries.

Robotics training

To become a roboticist, you need to obtain a higher education in mechatronics and robotics. In particular, this area includes the specialty “robots and robotic systems”. Higher education gives the qualification “engineer”.

In this course, you can get a profession as a specialist in mechatronics and robotics in 3 months and 10,000 rubles.
— One of the most affordable prices in Russia;
— Diploma of professional retraining of the established form;
— Training in a completely distance format;
— Certificate of compliance with professional standards worth 10,000 rubles. For a present!;
— The largest educational institution of additional professional education. education in Russia.

Workplace

Roboticists work in aviation and astronautics design bureaus. For example, at the NPO named after. S.A. Lavochkina. In research centers of various fields (space, medicine, oil production, etc.). In companies specializing in robotics.

Salary

Salary as of 08/26/2019

Russia 20000—70000 ₽

Important qualities

The profession of roboticist requires an interest in exact sciences and engineering, an analytical mind, well-structured thinking combined with a rich imagination.

Knowledge and skills

Essentially, a roboticist is a universal specialist: an engineer, a programmer, a cyberneticist all rolled into one. He needs knowledge of mechanics, programming, the theory of automatic control, and the theory of design of automatic systems. Design skills and the ability to work with your hands, for example, to use a soldering iron, are very important.

They often wonder what will happen when the doors of an educational institution close on them. Does it make sense for you to work for a small salary in a laboratory at some university? Today it is impossible to say for sure whether you will be able to find a decent job after graduation. Sometimes working at a university is one of the best options. But there are other interesting professions.

Engaged in installation, startup, and diagnostics of equipment. Conducts maintenance and repair of equipment in operational and warranty cases. Provides technical support, consults clients, conducts technical seminars and trains clients.

3. Teacher in the direction of ""

Training can be carried out within the framework of the school curriculum, as well as in universities. Such a specialist can teach preparatory courses, conduct classes with advanced children in the subject, and teach additional courses in the field of Robotics.

The most popular professions are visualizer and fashion designer. The first is a high-class specialist in the field of three-dimensional graphics. Today, visualizers are most often involved in architectural and construction projects and take part in the process of architectural 3D visualization. Architectural visualizers create the exteriors and interiors of the buildings they design. As a result, the visualizer must present the finished picture. The profession of a 3D model designer is becoming increasingly attractive to creative people. Artists, architects and sculptors are often interested in it.

What do a programmer who works on androids, immersed in psychology and behavioral science, and an engineer who writes algorithms for industrial robots and studies mechatronics and higher mathematics have in common? Both of them are involved in robotics - the most in-demand industry in the near future. Now robotics in Russia is an unplowed field: the need for various robots (industrial, home, mobile, combat, anthropomorphic) is quite high, and only a few companies specialize in their production. Look At Me learned from experts what you need to know about the profession of robotics and what to start learning today.

Eland Inbar on the shortcomings of the American
education and the benefits of the Lego constructor

“The creation of robots has two important components: engineering solutions and hardware, on the one hand, and data processing and software, on the other. To be a roboticist, you need to understand and understand both issues, as they are equally important. Robots are the same computers, only with motors and sensors. Think of them as computer science brought to life. In any case, to comprehend this science, you will have to start with software development, which means you will have to learn programming languages. For example, Python is widely supported across many platforms. ROS (Robot Operating System) are now also gaining popularity, although their creators, Willow Garage, no longer exist. For beginner roboticists, I recommend purchasing LEGO EV3 or Robotis Bioloid construction sets for training, they will help you dive into the details. Gain confidence when working with these constructors, develop basic algorithms (simple navigation, grips, etc.). This will give you a base. Then you should definitely get a job as an intern at a robotics company - they will teach you everything. By the way, if you decide to study robotics at an American university, then remember that the main focus there is mechanical engineering, and you must not forget about software.

There are a lot of cool robots now, but no one buys them, because they don't really solve important problems

One day you will feel ready to create your own robot. This is both the easiest and the most difficult. Therefore, I always advise starting with necessity. Take a real problem and let your device solve it. There are a lot of cool robots out there right now, but no one is buying them because they don't actually solve important problems. At the same time, there are a lot of problems now. Do them and it will lead you to success."

Vladimir Bely about why robots
worth creating in human form

“Robotics is a very broad concept, it includes the development of software and mobile software, the creation of complex engineering solutions, artificial intelligence programming and design. This is a very promising area not only for engineers and programmers, but also for designers, marketers and even psychologists. We live in interesting times: before our eyes, a completely new market is emerging, the products of which will change our lives. A similar thing happened when, for example, personal computers appeared.

Today my team and I are working on improving our robots. We do this to make people's lives easier and give them more time to communicate with their family and loved ones. Robots should replace us in routine and dangerous work, as has already happened in many types of production. Now it is impossible to imagine our life without industrial robots that assemble, weld, and sort various products - they optimize enterprises and reduce costs and risks.

In addition to industrial robots, there are so-called biomorphic robots - prototypes of animals and insects, which, due to their size and other features, can perform special tasks. However, anthropomorphic robots, that is, similar to people, are the most convenient embodiment of artificial intelligence. The fact is that the entire life around us is created with a person in mind: his height, his anatomical features. Therefore, it is much more profitable to create a machine capable of moving and working in the same conditions as us than to adapt, say, a robot on a tracked platform or on a wheeled base, to human life. In addition, a psychological factor was at work: people have always strived to create something like themselves.

We need to immediately create a parallel world, where robots coexist with people
and become their assistants

Today, anthropomorphic robotics is still in its nascent stage: there are many areas for the use of such robots, and even more unsolved problems. Our company is trying to develop this industry. We have specifically created an ecosystem in which software developers are given the opportunity to create applications for our robots, that is, we have actually organized jobs for programmers. In addition, it is good for the consumer. By buying our Alphabot robot or renting it, he receives a certain machine that can be “adapted” to specific needs. Here we can draw an analogy with the App Store. We buy an IPAD, download the necessary programs and receive a personalized device.

However, at this stage, people still cannot get used to the idea that robots will soon enter our lives as tightly as, for example, tablets. It is important to understand that we are not calling for the destruction of the old world, but for creating something on its ruins. No! We need to immediately create a parallel world where robots coexist with people and become their assistants. We call on all people to join this ideology and develop the future of humanity together.

I don’t believe in the uprising of machines, which many fear. But you must always remember that behind any machine there is a person. But you can’t be completely sure of people.”

Sergey Melnikov on how to independently study robotics and assemble your first device

Sergey Melnikov

Developer of automated systems, programmer, teacher of robotics, administrator of servodroid.ru

“I started working on robots back in school, when I was enrolled in the Amateur Radio club. There I learned how to solder, understand circuit design and make simple engineering structures. When I learned to read any electronic circuits, it came down to a simple robot with a pair of light sensors and relays, which it saw and could move around. The most interesting thing is to watch how a piece of hardware, without human help, does something on its own. After I assembled my first bulky device with a bunch of wires, covered in glue and wrapped in tape, I fell in love with robotics.

In St. Petersburg, I studied to become a programmer, but at the same time continued to work on robots. I immersed myself in the specialty and believe that this is the best path, and everyone can follow it.

I specialize not only in BEAM robotics, but also in complex computing systems, complexes and, of course, software. For example, I collaborate with the Ministry of Emergency Situations and work on robots for rescue and reconnaissance work. But mostly my favorite part is BEAM (“biology, electronics, aesthetics, mechanics”). This is where it all starts: with the simplest robots from available components without complex programming. When assembling a BEAM robot, we try to approach the task from different angles, even without having a large number of electronic components and logical circuits. When assembling such a robot, we can ultimately point our finger at any part of it and tell everything about it from A to Z. Tell us how the signal from the photosensor comes, how it is processed by the microcircuit, and what happens in the end. We can always identify in a chain the reason why the robot does not work. This is the best base for beginners.

I am sure that robotics is a very promising field of activity. It allows a person to apply almost any of his knowledge. Creating a robot is like painting a picture with a soldering iron rather than a brush. Every time you are surprised that you can assemble such a wonderful structure, and the most important thing is to find a use for it.”

Robotics is a promising industry for at least the next ten years, because robots have become part of the new industrial revolution. It includes knowledge of mechanics, electronics and programming. Studying at a university gives not only skills and fundamental knowledge, but also the opportunity to work on real projects. Knowledge of mathematics and physics are fundamental skills for specialists who want to create smart machines. At a basic level, robotics relies on functions and equations. Even a regular robot vacuum cleaner uses complex mathematical functions to plot a route around the room.

Where to go to study robotics?

Knowledge of mathematics and physics are fundamental skills for specialists who want to create smart machines. At a basic level, robotics relies on functions and equations. Even a regular robot vacuum cleaner uses complex mathematical functions to plot its route around the room.

The Robot found out where in Russia you can get knowledge in this area. We also talked with students, they told us why they entered robotics and whether they were satisfied with studying at their university. The direction “Mechatronics and Robotics” corresponds to the specialty code 03/15/06, but robotics can also be taught in other areas, for example, “Automation of Technological Processes and Production” (03/15/04). And all areas of training, one way or another related to mechanical engineering, begin on 15.XX.XX. At the same time, artificial intelligence technologies and the basic principles of robotics can be learned in the areas of the “Mathematics and Mechanics” (01.XX.XX) or “Computer and Information Sciences” (02.XX.XX) group.

To find out what disciplines will be studied during the four years of study, just find the program curriculum. This is easy to do: enter the name of the program and university in a search engine, add “curriculum” at the end.The curriculum will help you get an idea of what you will do in the next 4 years. It is also useful to read information about the partner companies of the department or faculty on the pages of the programs you are interested in. Most often, universities have signed an internship agreement with these companies and have agreements on the employment of students after graduation.

Below we have prepared a table with information on admission to some of the leading universities in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other regions of Russia.

Moscow

	Faculty	Direction	Entrance tests	Passing score in	Number of budget places
	Faculty	Direction	Entrance tests	2017	Number of budget places
MSTU im. N. E. Bauman	Special mechanical engineering	Mechatronics and robotics (Robotic systems and mechatronics)	R M F	271	92
	Special mechanical engineering	Mechatronics and robotics (Underwater robots and vehicles)	R M F	247	92
	Robotics and complex automation	Automation of technological processes and production	R M F	264	51
MTU		Mechatronics and robotics	R M F	217	48
NRNU MEPhI	Physico-technological	Mechatronics and robotics in the nuclear industry	R M F		10
MPEI	Institute of Power Engineering and Mechanics	Computer control technologies in robotics and mechatronics	R M F	217	27

Mikhail, Moscow Energy Institute

I entered MPEI because my friends graduated from the university, and I often hear positive reviews about it. The university provides good knowledge in mathematics and engineering graphics; it is believed that MPEI is almost the best in this. Students from other universities come to our lectures. Before that, I studied at MIIT, but it did not live up to expectations at all. Now I am delighted with my institute. Unlike many other universities, we are not loaded with humanities subjects, and key subjects are related to mechanics.

We don’t really study programming languages: we had a slight affair with C++ and that’s all. But it is difficult to implement your projects, because there is neither a person who will help with advice, nor good equipment, nor good access to existing equipment. If we talk about the quality of education, then in the previous semester we had classes in one subject taught by our headman, who himself does not understand anything about it. There is no involvement and encouragement for creating projects - this is really upsetting at the university. Little practice, tons of theory. Without applying knowledge, all this is forgotten at once.

Saint Petersburg

	Faculty	Direction	Entrance tests	Passing score in	Number of budget places
	Faculty	Direction	Entrance tests	2017	Number of budget places
Saint Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics			R M I	255	56
	Control systems and robotics	Digital production	R M I	no data	10
SPbSU	Mathematical and mechanical	Mechanics and mathematical modeling	R M I	249	20
SPbSU	Mathematical and mechanical	Applied mathematics and computer science	R M I	254	45
SPbSPU	Institute of Metallurgy, Mechanical Engineering and Transport	Robotics	R M F	223	50
BSTU "VOENMEKH" named after. D.F. Ustinova	Information and control systems	Mechatronics and robotics	R M F	202	36
SUAI	Institute of Innovative Technologies in Electromechanics and Robotics	Robotics	R M F	213	17

R - Russian language, M - mathematics, F - physics, I - computer science and ICT

Alexey, ITMO University

As a child, I loved building simple electrical circuits. Light bulbs from flashlights, LEDs from lighters, motors from players - everything went into action.

At school I was introduced to programming, which also interested me. Robotics is an area in which, as it seemed to me, both of the above-mentioned areas of my interests are realized. So, by the end of ninth grade, I decided to get a higher education at ITMO University.

Expectations from the university were not met. Having only one desire, but not having enough knowledge, there was nothing to do at the university. The naive assumption that they would teach me at the university turned out to be wrong. The university only provides an opportunity to study.

At ITMO, robotics is taught according to several standards at different departments . At the Department of Control Systems and Informatics (CSI), where I studied, the theory of automatic control is at the forefront. There are several courses on mechanics, mechatronics, materials and their processing.

Programming is considered a skill at the ICS department, so you need to learn languages on your own. The main tool is Matlab and Simulink. As the training progresses, C, Assembly, CFC will be covered.

During the training process I had the opportunity to work with LEGO Mindstorms and Beckhoff. The design bureau also has KUKA, Roomba, Boe-Bot, TRIC, Intel Galileo, Raspberry Pi and everyone there is very passionate about ROS. The Design Bureau (KB) is a voluntary matter.

There are no projects as such in the educational program. You can independently join a design bureau or laboratory and conduct a project on their basis. This is done without hindrance, and subsequently you can work in the laboratory for a salary.

The quality of education is quite difficult to assess. Since it is the opportunity to receive an education that is given, and not education as such. Independent work plays a very important role. So, if you have the ability to study independently, you can leave the university as a very good specialist. In the absence of such skill and insufficient level of self-organization, you can, on the contrary, end up as a nobody.

I was waiting to be taught everything. They will take you by the hand and lead you to the world of my dreams. They will present on a silver platter all the knowledge that is missing in my head, chew it properly and put it in my mouth. This did not happen. Therefore, I very soon hit reality hard. I lacked knowledge mainly in the field of mathematics. I lacked discipline. And I was absolutely unable to assimilate the material on my own. But I did not admit my unsuitability, so by inertia I ended up getting a bachelor’s degree and entering a master’s program. In the master's program, I was already able to recognize my lack of potential and completed my studies of my own free will.

Vasily, BSTU "VOENMEKH" named after. D.F. Ustinova

I entered the university to study radio engineering. My expectations from the university were justified; I only completed one semester, so apart from general education subjects, I haven’t really studied anything yet. Now the main emphasis is on mathematics, programming (we studied Pascal, will be C) and physics.

For now, I am only studying at the university. I work at the Robotics Center at PFML No. 239. I took part in a bunch of different competitions, the most recent one being preparing with the team for Robocup@work, where I’m working on the hardware part of the project.

Nowadays there are a lot of “extra” items. For me, this is the so-called mandatory point that I have to go through in order to be able to do something further. There is also a benefit, but at this stage it doesn’t seem to be much.

I am not 100% sure that I will stay in robotics, although I am interested in electronics and will definitely study it. Robotics is a combination of many factors, where electronics are important, but without the rest you won't get far.

Regions

	Faculty	Direction	Entrance tests	Passing score in	Number of budget places
	Faculty	Direction	Entrance tests	2017	Number of budget places
TSU (Tomsk)	Physico-technical	Mechatronics and robotics	R M F	221	25
TSU (Tomsk)	Physico-technical	applied mechanics	R M F	202	25
TPU (Tomsk)	Institute of Cybernetics	Mechatronics and robotics	R M F	219	40
UrFU (Ekaterinburg)	Institute of New Materials and Technologies	Mechatronics and robotics	R M F	201	25
Tyumen State University (Tyumen)	Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science	Mechatronics and robotics	R M F		16
NSTU (Novosibirsk)	Mechanical-technological	Robotic systems and complexes	R M I	-	0
NSTU (Novosibirsk)	Mechatronics and Automation	Electrical power and electrical engineering	R M F	204	102
FEFU (Vladivostok)	Engineering School	Automation of technological processes and production (in mechanical engineering)	R M F	143	20
FEFU (Vladivostok)	Engineering School	Mechatronics and robotics	R M F	189	15
SSTU named after Gagarina Yu.A. (Samara)	Institute of Electronic Technology and Mechanical Engineering	Intelligent Robotics	R M F	200	17
Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk)	Polytechnical Institute	Mechatronics and robotics	R M F	153	18

R - Russian language, M - mathematics, F - physics, I - computer science and ICT

Alexey, Tomsk Polytechnic University

Since school I was interested in physics and was planning to become an engineer, choosing between nuclear physics and robotics. As a result, I chose robotics, based on the fact that the field has been actively developing recently and there are many interesting tasks.

Expectations from the university were partially met. At our university, more attention is paid to control theory and industrial automation, as well as electric drives. From programming languages we studied C, Matlab and Python. As a creative project in the first year we worked with the Lego Mindstorms platform, and in the second year we studied the Festo Robotino platform.

In my third year, I became interested in machine learning. Since then, I have been involved in the implementation of road sign recognition algorithms as student research, interned at the Tomsk branch of the NTR Lab company, where we worked on projects in the field of deep learning, and as a graduate work I participate in the development team of a transport robot with people recognition and following functions for selected goals.

The university has young teachers who are interested in implementing projects in robotics, so if you wish, there is an opportunity to participate in the implementation of interesting ideas.

Unfortunately, the program at our university is somewhat outdated, so you have to obtain up-to-date knowledge on your own. On the one hand, this provides a good experience of self-education, but on the other hand, outdated subjects provide extra burden. At the same time, TPU teaches good fundamental knowledge in the field of automatic control and electric drive theory.

In my opinion, our university pays little attention to computer science and machine learning in particular. When studying programming languages, such important sections as the theory of algorithms and data structures are missed. Machine learning, which is quite common in modern robotics, is unfortunately not taught.

For now, I plan to continue to develop in the field of machine learning, but with a shift to the server side of web development. But it is possible that I will also take part in some project in the field of robotics.

Anatoly, YarSU named after. P.G. Demidova

As a child I was always attracted to robots. I wanted to learn how to make them myself. But there was no specialty in robotics in the city. I decided to enter the university to major in radiophysics and electronics (that’s what it was called). I thought that by learning how to work with electronic components I could make robots.

It so happened that at one of the departments they began to work on a mobile manipulator (a small 3-link manipulator installed on a tracked platform). They were already working on managing the platform. But students were needed to manage it. I became one of them. And as a result, he defended his thesis on the development of a manipulator control algorithm.

Since I entered the physics department, we were taught theory to a greater extent. There are also applied specialties, for example, radio engineering and infocommunication technologies. It would not have been possible without general physics, mathematical analysis, and differential equations. Otherwise, they would not have understood the remaining material. Studied analog and digital electronics, circuit and signal theory.

At our faculty, programming is perceived as a way to solve problems of modeling various radiophysical processes. And, based on this, we were taught not about programming itself, not about the art of writing programs, but through programming they explained the essence and mechanisms of processes. And we did this on Turbo Pascal. What they demanded from us was not beautiful code and a fast-running program, but correct data output for any initial conditions. We studied object-oriented programming in Delphi, but the main essence was also taught in it. There were also more specific environments for modeling (Mathcad, Matlab). There was a course on programming microcontrollers in assembler.

I believe that such courses are quite sufficient for this specialty. The most important thing is that it was not a specific programming language that was studied, but the principle of how to make the computer perform the necessary actions. And this really helped me in the future to study almost independently C for programming AVR microcontrollers and C# for creating a control program with a graphical interface. Of course, the level at which I learned languages is purely amateur, but it is enough to solve problems.

At the department where I studied (now it is called Infocommunication Technologies), if a student had an idea, it was definitely promoted. Because it is much more pleasant to do what is interesting. So their projects were very encouraged. Especially if the project was interesting and useful not only for the student.

I was working on the manipulator control algorithm. The task was to solve the inverse kinematics problem for a specific model that was at the department, and implement it on a microcontroller (a microcontroller is needed to control the servos that rotate the manipulator links). As a result, I got a robot that could be controlled manually through software installed on a computer or using a keyboard, gamepad, touch screen and leap motion - a device that determines the position of a person’s palm above itself. Implemented autonomous modes: from banal shifting of objects, like a conveyor robot, to drawing letters and words.

They teach well at the university. The teachers know their subject and know how to tell and explain it to the student. I got everything I wanted from studying. And my dream of making a robot came true, even though it’s not smart enough yet.

After graduating from university, I didn’t start working in robotics, because there are no jobs in this field in Yaroslavl (except for education), and I didn’t want to move.

Louise, Moscow State University M. V. Lomonosov (branch in Tashkent)

I entered the Moscow State University branch of the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science to learn how to program. In fact, it turned out that they mainly teach mathematics here. There are many subjects, ranging from mathematical analysis and linear algebra to equations of mathematical physics. But we are learning programming and now we are studying C++, before that we studied C, got an idea of Assembly language and web development. The workload at the university is enormous, but the quality of education could be better. I don't have enough time to study anything outside, however, I will continue to study robotics.

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