New academic discipline – Robotics

One of the priorities of the modern science development is cybernetics and, in particular, robotics. Its history is inextricably linked with the history of the development of science, engineering and technology, it is almost impossible to separate it from most inventions made by humanity. The active introduction of robotics as a new yet little-known academic discipline entails many questions: what is this subject and is it useful for students? Pro-Papers experts tackled this question. Read on to find out what they learned.

Today, robotics is an integrative direction of scientific and technological progress, combining knowledge in the fields of physics, microelectronics, modern information technologies and artificial intelligence. Robotics covers a fairly wide range of systems: from fully automated productions (production conveyor lines, unmanned spacecraft, automatic underwater vehicles, etc.) to household helpers and children’s toys.

Thus, the higher the interest in robotics, the higher the demand for specialists in this industry. That is why today the introduction of a new academic discipline of robotics in schools and universities is becoming increasingly relevant.

The naked eye can see a pronounced tendency to introduce robots in various spheres of human activity – in private life, in educational processes, in scientific projects, in health care, in the military sphere and in industry. Robotics as an academic discipline is really important and relevant in education.

Educational robotics is a tool that lays a solid foundation for systems thinking, integrating computer science, mathematics, physics, drafting, technology, natural sciences with the development of engineering creativity. It gives an idea of the basics of the development of works, computer systems that are designed to control robots, the initial concepts of information processing. Programming a real robot will help you see the laws of mathematics, not in the pages of a notebook or textbook, but in the outside world. Programming of robots allows you to easily organize interdisciplinary connections of computer science with mathematics and physics, with special training of teachers and the availability of teaching materials – with cybernetics, physiology and psychology.

Today, robotic educational kits are used to conduct demonstration educational experiments in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and the basics of life safety. All this allows the child to familiarize himself/herself with the laws of the real world and the peculiarities of the functioning of the perception of this world by cybernetic mechanisms.

Robotics at school presents students the 21st century technology, contributes to the development of their communication skills, develops skills of interaction, independence in decision making, reveals their creative potential. Students better understand when they independently create or invent something. When conducting classes and activities in robotics, this fact is not only taken into account, but actually used.

Robotics helps to practice in depth to explore some topics in other subjects, allowing to unlock the potential of a student and help him/her further with the choice of a future profession. For example, to create a quadrocopter, students will be able to design the basics of the apparatus in the classroom. At the handicraft lessons they will develop the case itself. At the lessons of mathematics and physics they will calculate the mass of the whole structure, the power of motors, necessary batteries with regulators, select the necessary sensors and make a purchase. In the classroom technology they will be able to collect all details. Knowledge of the basics of geography, physics, mathematics will be useful for orienting a quadrocopter in space. And at the lessons of computer science students will create a program to control the mechanism.

Developing projects, creating robots, conducting scientific and research experiments, performing joint or group assignments allows students to learn how to work in a team, formulate tasks, control their decisions, keep statistics and reports, design works and presentations, speak to the public and emotional control at competitions.

In addition, robotics is a team work. Solving problems together, the team analyzes the problem, makes a plan for solving it, determines the role for each of them to perform subtasks, searches for resources from informational to the material. In the process of work, students have the opportunity to show initiative, leadership and creative abilities.

Speaking of robotics as an academic subject when students receive a specialty, it is important to note the distinctive features of the subject. For example: rich specialized program, giving the opportunity to independently design and program robots, as well as participate in various competitions in robotics; training professionals involved in the creation and design of robots and robotic systems, both industrial and non-industrial, as well as developing the necessary software and algorithmic software to manage such systems, their design and operation.

Defense industry enterprises and the space industry, companies manufacturing electronics, home appliances, automobiles, etc. are always waiting for robotics specialists. A graduate has the opportunity to move up the career ladder and as a designer, developer of Mechatronic, robotic systems, as well as a manager in the field of industrial robotics and Mechatronics.