Danish
How much Math does really play into being a robotics engineer?
I love the engineering field, but I am not good at any of the math part that comes into play. I know that I am only in Highschool, and the fact being that my mindset of math is just to plug and play formulas. I don't want to think about it, just get it done. If I was to become a robotics engineer (which I am aspiring to be ), I wanted to know how much math would actually play a role into it. And if it is a heavy role, I also want to know what kind of math will be required. I did take one summer class in robotics, and for the electronics part it was usually just "plug and play" a list of formulas that you acquire. I am bad at thinking of an answer and breaking barriers only what it comes to math. I just want to see how it is going to be if I follow this line. #electrical-engineering #robotics #robotics-engineer
3 answers
mathias G
mathias’s Answer
To get an engineering degree, at least in Sweden where I got mine, you need to take a lot of math classes. Some of those are "hard" to complete. Hard in the sense that you do have to spend a lot of time on the subject before passing the exams. Basically you have to build up a gut feel for what method/variable substitution/formulas apply to the challenge at hand and this takes effort much like getting your body to perform in sports. It won't happen without a lot of effort.
Now, do to robotics you don't actually need a degree although it is beneficial. And even with a degree, the actual maths part of your job is probably not going to be that hard. Or you could get help on that part. Still, why they keep us working so hard in the engineering training program is that training to solve math problems indirectly helps you solve other difficult tasks over the years to come.
Complex mathematics is not intuitive until you have worked on it all those hours. See it as a challenge and embrace it!
Soumya Bandyopadhyay
Soumya’s Answer
" I love the engineering field, but I am not good at any of the math part that comes into play. I know that I am only in Highschool, and the fact being that my mindset of math is just to plug and play formulas. I don't want to think about it, just get it done. If I was to become a robotics engineer (which I am aspiring to be ), I wanted to know how much math would actually play a role into it. "
Ans: Math is essential. Plugging and playing formulas is an important skill. This mindset which you have has the potential to translate into "Do and Get it Done" attitude. Please always ensure that you keep working on this and see that: when you get 10 problems where you know which formula is to be plugged, whether you can solve all of them correctly, and in time. Improve accuracy and efficiency as needed. If you are testing robotics, you might have to deal with a pre-written code and just execute it to validate the program; that is where your plug and play skills come into play.
"And if it is a heavy role, I also want to know what kind of math will be required. I did take one summer class in robotics, and for the electronics part it was usually just "plug and play" a list of formulas that you acquire. I am bad at thinking of an answer and breaking barriers only what it comes to math. I just want to see how it is going to be if I follow this line. "
Ans: You are still in high school; so you shouldn't put yourself to a specific basket. Try to understand the reasoning behind maths. The objective is not necessarily to be the best student in Maths but to develop a logical problem solving mind. The flow of logic, which later on becomes a computer code for driving a robot is what matters the most. Once you nurture your skills in developing this logical mindset, then you target individual blocks which build up the logic. This is a critical skill which would be required for a Robotics Engineer role.
Dr. Dennis Ong
