Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!aio!l44db!jeff
From: jeff@l44db.jsc.nasa.gov (Jeff Szmyd)
Subject: Re: Field of robotics
Message-ID: <1994Feb4.140801.19261@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>
Sender: Jeff Szmyd
Organization: Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Co.  Houston, TX.
References: <01211994.232815@therealm.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 1994 14:08:01 GMT
Lines: 49

In article <01211994.232815@therealm.com> metal@therealm.com (Metal Maniac) writes:
>
>   I am interested in receiving information about this field.  Can someone
>give me an adress I can write too for this information or maybe some of you
>can tell me how I can get into this field.  I am sure I need a good
>mathmatical background but what do I major in  in my first 4 years of
>college?  I assumed it was Mechanical Enginnering but can someone tell me for
>sure?  Thanks alot.
>

Mr. Maniac (or may I call you Metal?),

After working in the space robotics field at NASA/JSC for four years, I'd
have to say it's a pretty interesting field but very slow growing.  Most
industries are hesitant to invest the money for R&D or the capital to outfit
their plant with some sort of automation.  It's definitely going to really
take off someday.  If you know when this day will be, please let me know.

As for schooling, you need an engineering degree which, by default, means
you'll need to be good (and enjoy) math.  I don't think it really matters
what field you actually get your degree in (I'm a civil engineer by degree)
but just make sure you take courses in and understand mechanical systems,
electronic and electromechanical devices, and computer programming.  Depending
on your interests, you'll probably find yourself taking courses in micro-
processor control, control systems, more math, more dynamics, and some
artificial intelligence or decision-making systems.

You can "specialize" in a number of areas:  control systems, mechanical
design, electrical design, modeling and simulation, kinematic and dynamic
analysis, and sensing systems, to name a few.  My experience in both industry
and government leads me to believe that if you want to go more with the
simulation and analysis area, go goverment.  If you want to get your hands
dirty and do some field work, go industry.

Also, I don't think you need to go to one of the main robotics schools, at
least for your undergraduate degree.  For your M.S. or Ph.d (and you'll want
at least an M.S. IMO), there are some schools that have more reseach work
to offer but if you're industrious, you can make it work anywhere.

Feel free to drop me some e-mail if you want more info about some of the
work we do at the Johnson Space Center with either the Shuttle arm or some
of the space station robotics.

Jeff Szmyd
jeff@l44db.jsc.nasa.gov
-- 
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               Gun control is a steady hand.              
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