Studying Robotics

When I say ‘robots’, you might think of those in Wall-E or Big Hero 6. But humanoid robots (ie those that resemble humans in appearance) are few and far between. The vast majority of them— automatic mail sorters, assembly line robots and surgery robots—look nowhere near like us and are what you might dismiss as ‘machines’.

But, robots are not the same as machines. Unlike machines, robots are programmed to handle a wide range of tasks. For example, a ceiling fan is a machine; it can only do one thing—spin, so that it creates breeze in the room. On the other hand, a robot in a car manufacturing plant can identify, distinguish between and installseveral component parts of different cars in their right places.

The study, design and production of these intelligent machines or robots fall under the ambit of robotics. Robotics is a multidisciplinary field, encompassing elements of computer science, mechanical engineering and electronic engineering.

British universities are at the forefront of AI teaching, learning and research. There are over 26 universities offering programmes in artificial intelligence.

Some of the universities where you could study are:

• University of Hertfordshire
• De Montfort University (DMU)
• London South Bank University
• Middlesex University

Salary and Career Prospects

With an academic background in robotics, you could work as Robotics Developer, Robotics Engineer, Robotics Process Automation Developer, Robotics Control Engineer and Robotics Software Integration Engineer.

Salaries vary depending on location, qualifications and experience. As a guide, the average annual salary of robotics professionals in the UK is around £30,000 (27 lakhs INR).

Why Study in UK?

The UK is a world-renowned seat of learning, teaching and research with 3 universities in top 10 and 7 in top 50 in THE World Rankings 2018.

Britain has a rich heritage of excelling in computer science. In fact, the world’s first digital computer was invented in the UK during the Second World War to decipher secret messages exchanged by German troops.

The country is home to many of the world’s most leading technology companies. These include the likes of Google, IBM, Microsoft, Apple and Intel.

It is possible for students to remain in the UK after finishing their studies, provided they meet all prevailing visa requirements.