Job Categories & skills needed

We are now seeing in 2021 an explosion of new jobs being created worldwide in the areas of robotics both in the creation of the hardware and the software end but also in the basic operation of the factory and service robots .

The simplest and easiest job in robotics may well be to work in a warehouse like Amazon where there are hundreds of robots around you and if you are lucky you could possibly learn about them and be involved in hands on work with the robot machinery.

By simply being in a place that has robots you could position yourself to get promoted into a whole new career if you play your cards correctly and are liked by your employer.

But even if you don’t physicallly work in a robotics related company there are dozens of jobs which involved computer programming or some mechanical part of robotics.

There has always been a close link between animatronics like what you see in a Disneyland environment with moving fullsize human or animal like characters or what you see in a wax museum and robots.

So the point is you must look beyond being a superstar PHD level computer programme/engineer and realize that there are countless jobs that are needed to support a robot project.

The special effects company Waldo Mason for example shows a few amazing videos on their site of ultra realistic heads used in Hollywod movies and they list an example of these specific job types that made these miracles happen.

• mold maker
• – cleanup sculptor
• – animatronics designer
• – performance software & puppeteer
• – silicone & paint specialist
• – hairwork

So the point is to keep an open mind and always be looking for opportunties.

Keep in mind that there are large established companies which actually manufacture warehouse robot or humanoid robots or robotic vacuums and there are companies who create the software for them or the various parts.

The AI (artificial intellgence) software market is growing in leaps and bounds.

People with almost zero electronic or robotics skills but a serious desire to be in the industry might do well to simply take any job in a major company from janitor to assistant to the assistants assistant to the janitors janitor! (haha) Just get your foot in the door.

If you have a highly sought after skill set in this industry then you can write you own paycheck and maybe work from home in any country in the world.

Now the field of robotics is divided into a handful of categories depending on who you ask.

Here is the usual division of the robotics field or the types of robots that are created.

1. industrial robots (warehouses at Amazon, your local manufacturer)

2. domestic or consumer robots (robot vacuums, companion pet robots etc)

3. military (robot animals to sniff boms, find people, serveillance, warfare, drones)

4, medical (remote surgery, hospital telepresenece & patient assistance)

5. service (new are of food preparation robots, delivery, work in care homes)

6. security (similar to military types)

In terms of jobs you can get in robotics. You start off assuming that they all have similar administration departments where they need accounting and administrative staff. People to answer the phones or take care of the social media accounts and update the webpages.

You may have divisions like

– r & d (research and development)

– mechanics (HVAC) building the legs and torso of a humanoid robot or assembling the robot arm or vehicle)

– electricians and electronics specialists to test circuit boards and work on new ideas

– software staff who may be highly skilled in a handful of languages like C, C++, Python, Lisp, and have a background with operating systems especilly UNIX/Linux and know how to work with code libraries and the Open Source movement and things like github. Knowledge in the emerging field of AI, deep learning, machine learning, neural networks.

– a tinkering and experimental mind and perhaps home experience with microcontrollers like Arduino and Raspberry pi and have done some electronic hacking of sorts

– the most advanced robotics companies are going past ai and into brain machine interfaces like Elon Musk with his Neural Link technologies. Others are exploring other territories which are somewhat controversial. It is helpful here to have a solid understanding or education in the human body and kinematics and the brain.

We will soon (its now April 2021) post some actual job ads from companies and see what they are looking for.

Dont worry if you don’t qualify for any of the hi end engineering jobs because pioneers in this industry like Elon Musk look at more than ones college degree. If you can demonstrate that you know something useful to the employer or that you can learn fast and be a team player then you will go far. You will get hired at the very bottom perhaps…but you sholuld never look at it as the bottom. Just getting in is your oyster! Prove that you are smart and excited and will give it your all and you will thrive. Do not look at the clock and do not ask what the company benefits are. hah

Here are the job categories that many Robotics companies will post jobs for: