Robotics has always been my passion and it can also be yours. Let me introduce myself: my name is Andrii. I have competed in robotics since I was seven and I have also taken numerous awards for national and international competitions in robotics including several podiums. Robotics is a type of engineering and computer science that includes creation, design, building, manufacture, programming, testing, and operation of a programmed machine or in other words a robot. Now that I have told you who I am and what robotics is, let’s dive into why you should try it yourself.
One of the best things about robotics is that you don’t need any prior knowledge or skills to try it or even to succeed at it. I have started my robotics journey from just playing with Legos and trying to create different mechanisms, but after just a couple of years I was able to join a robotics club and even take third place in a national competition. What I’m trying to say is that you can achieve anything in robotics as long as you are dedicated to it. The other thing about robotics that will surely interest you is that there is something for everyone: you can join a competitive team that performs internationally, join a small club that makes robots just for fun, or try to create robots with your friends that will help you solve your everyday issues. In robotics, there is something for every single one of you!
You may ask, “But what are the benefits of learning robotics for me?” We all probably have heard about AI or self-driving cars by now. Well, robotics is very similar to those. While programming robots to do something you will likely learn a lot about basics of Autopilot and Artificial Intelligence, which are essential for any autonomous robot or system to work. In robotics, no matter if you join a team that competes in international competitions or just a local club, you will need to work with your teammates in order to improve your robot and overcome different obstacles that might get in the way during development of your robot. This aspect in robotics will help you improve your teamwork and communication skills. At the same time, it is proven that robotics will help you to practice critical thinking and problem solving by challenging you to push your limits.
The other thing that I would like to talk about is how robotics could benefit your future. First of all, let’s talk about college. Robotics is considered a prestigious extracurricular, and universities, especially the ones that specialize in engineering, are interested in students who have experience in the field of robotics. Many Universities have their own robotics teams, which once more proves that it would be a huge benefit when applying to college. Next let’s move to job opportunities related to robotics. We all might have heard that AI will overtake some jobs and that many professions will get automated in the next few years. Fortunately, that won’t affect engineers, programers, or other STEM related jobs because you will be the one who gets to maintain and develop AI and decide what tomorrow’s technologies would look like. Another aspect of choosing to build your career based on your robotics skills is that you will have a chance to change the world, for example you would be able to build the robots which would benefit people and one day help doctors successfully complete a surgery that will save someone’s life.
At the end of the day, I would like to say that I hope that this will convince you to give robotics a chance. While some might think that it isn’t worth trying, just remember that you will never know if you like something until you give it a go. Robotics has always been my passion and it can also be yours.
Andrii Labiak – St. Ignatius – DMSF Class of 2028
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash