Robotics engineers research, design, develop, or test robotic applications.

  • Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates.
  • Process or interpret signals or sensor data.
  • Debug robotics programs.
  • Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.
  • Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters.
  • Provide technical support for robotic systems.
  • Design end-of-arm tooling.
  • Design robotic systems, such as automatic vehicle control, autonomous vehicles, advanced displays, advanced sensing, robotic platforms, computer vision, or telematics systems.
  • Supervise technologists, technicians, or other engineers.
  • Design software to control robotic systems for applications, such as military defense or manufacturing.
  • Conduct research on robotic technology to create new robotic systems or system capabilities.
  • Investigate mechanical failures or unexpected maintenance problems.
  • Integrate robotics with peripherals, such as welders, controllers, or other equipment.
  • Evaluate robotic systems or prototypes.
  • Install, calibrate, operate, or maintain robots.
  • Conduct research into the feasibility, design, operation, or performance of robotic mechanisms, components, or systems, such as planetary rovers, multiple mobile robots, reconfigurable robots, or man-machine interactions.
  • Document robotic application development, maintenance, or changes.
  • Design automated robotic systems to increase production volume or precision in high-throughput operations, such as automated ribonucleic acid (RNA) analysis or sorting, moving, or stacking production materials.
  • Write algorithms or programming code for ad hoc robotic applications.
  • Make system device lists or event timing charts.
  • Design or program robotics systems for environmental clean-up applications to minimize human exposure to toxic or hazardous materials or to improve the quality or speed of clean-up operations.
  • Plan mobile robot paths and teach path plans to robots.
  • Design robotics applications for manufacturers of green products, such as wind turbines or solar panels, to increase production time, eliminate waste, or reduce costs.
  • Automate assays on laboratory robotics.
Work Context
  • Electronic Mail — 94% responded "Every day".
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 80% responded "Every day".
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 64% responded "Extremely important".
  • Telephone — 60% responded "Every day".
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 54% responded "Extremely important".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 73% responded "Every day".
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 49% responded "Some freedom".
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Work Activities
  • Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment — Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.
  • Design electromechanical equipment or systems.
  • Advise customers on the use of products or services.
  • Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.
  • Document technical design details.
  • Prepare operational reports.
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Knowledge

Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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Skills

Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
  • Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Systems Analysis
  • Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Judgment and Decision Making
  • Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
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Abilities

Problem Sensitivity
  • The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Inductive Reasoning
  • The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Deductive Reasoning
  • The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Computer aided design CAD software
  • UsyCams Hot Technology
  • Robotics Academy ROBOTC Hot Technology
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Hot Technology
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA Hot Technology
  • Bentley MicroStation Hot Technology
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Hot Technology
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software Hot Technology
Development environment software
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Hot Technology
  • Microsoft .NET Framework Hot Technology
  • Microsoft Visual Studio Hot Technology
  • National Instruments LabVIEW Hot Technology
  • Software development tools
  • C
  • Haskell
  • List processing language LISP
  • Ladder Logic
Graphics or photo imaging software
  • Microsoft Visio Hot Technology
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