Wrapping Up, Next Steps, and a Look Ahead

In this chapter, we will take a step back and look at what we have learned throughout this book, and how it fits into the bigger picture of robotics. We will explore what you can study to develop your robotic skills even further, depending on what excites you the most. We will venture a look ahead based on current trends in robotics to give you some inspiration on how to get involved and make an impact.

The chapter is structured as follows:

• A quick recap of what we have covered
• The bigger picture
• Ideas and guidance for your next steps in robotics
• Current trends in robotics research and development
• How to start your career in robotics

Technical requirements

There are no technical requirements for this chapter. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter.

A quick recap

Having learned as much as you did throughout this book, it is helpful to take a moment to recap what you have learned and how it all fits together. So let us take a quick look back.

We learned how to build robots with Arduino boards and other off-the-shelf components. Creating robots requires skills from three different engineering disciplines: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science (or programming).

We started by getting to know the Arduino platform. Arduino boards let us run small robot programs and interface with a large variety of hardware components. We covered writing programs for Arduino and understanding what Arduino board to select based on CPU specifications (clock rate and register size), memory size (FLASH, SRAM, and EEPROM), and available interfaces (SPI, I2C, serial, and so on). These topics are all part of computer engineering.

We also learned how to use the Arduino to interface with a variety of components that are...

The bigger picture

The field of robotics is vast, so let us look from a birds-eye perspective to see where our learning from this book fits in the bigger picture.

Robotics not only encompasses several engineering disciplines and many of their specialized subfields but it also covers a myriad of applications. We touched on several disciplines, but we focused on the application of small, wheeled mobile robots. Some of the other important areas for applications of robots include the following:

• Stationary robot arms, used in manufacturing and material handling
• Smart conveyor systems for automatic material handling in warehouses and process logistics
• Flying robots for autonomous delivery, aerial photography, and surveillance
• Space robots for the exploration of harsh, extraterrestrial environments
• Large mobile robots, such as automated equipment for agriculture or mining
• Social robots for companionship and everyday support
• Humanoid robots for advanced research...

Your next steps

Of the many paths you could take from here, this section will list a few suggestions:

• Master DIY robotics with Arduino and beyond
• Focus on the mechanical engineering of robots
• Focus on the electrical engineering of robots
• Focus on the computer engineering and computer science aspects of robotics
• Focus on data-driven methods for robotics ML

Becoming a DIY robotics master

If you want to continue creating ever more advanced Arduino robots and mastering DIY robotics, you already have a good sense of what skills you need to hone: everything that we covered or touched upon in this book.

For building robots, it quickly pays off to pick a (free) CAD software (such as Onshape) and aim to get increasingly proficient at it. Practicing CAD is easy; you can simply pick any object that you see and try to create a 3D model of it in CAD. Get comfortable creating various geometries from scratch, designing parts in the context of other parts, and...

Trends in robotics

There are more than enough highly active areas in robotics today to keep all of us busy for a while. Let us take a quick look at some of the current trends and areas that might become even more important soon (in no particular order).

ML/AI

Data-driven methods (ML or AI) have transformed robot perception and made their way into robot control, and impressive progress is still being made by researchers all over the world. With ever more powerful Large Language Models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s GPT-3, and their astonishingly broad-ranging capabilities, it seems likely that ML will continue to have a significant impact on the field of robotics. We may soon see robots that are more autonomous and can react smarter and more independently to unforeseen and challenging situations than is currently possible, thanks to advances in this area.

Cloud robotics

Most robots to date are independent actors. The idea behind cloud robotics is to connect robots over...

How to start your career in robotics

If you are considering robotics not just as a hobby but as a career path, you might be wondering how to get started. The most straightforward path starts with a college education in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science. During this time, consider getting involved with robotics clubs, contributing to open source robotics projects, and securing internships at robotics companies or in related industries. This will put you in a good position to apply for your dream job after graduation, or help you build the network you need to get your own start-up company off the ground. If you are looking for a career in robotics research, consider joining a Ph.D. program.

If you do not have a formal engineering education, you can still learn all the required skills from books, tutorials, and online courses. It will require considerable time and effort, however. Among the many materials freely available to you, the robotics courses...

Summary

In this chapter, we looked back at all the previous chapters and recapitulated what we have learned, and how it fits into the bigger picture of robotics. We discussed the possible next steps of your educational journey into the world of robotics, tools to learn, and projects to work on, depending on what excites you the most. We also talked about several current trends in robotics that may become even more prominent topics in the near future to give you an idea of where the field of robotics is headed. And lastly, we briefly outlined how you can turn robotics from an interest into a career, starting where you are right now.

If you have made it all the way here, you hopefully learned a lot about DIY robotics with Arduino and important aspects of robotics in general. Thank you so much for reading this book. Have fun with your new skills, keep building, making, and learning, and make your dream robot projects come true! And if you liked the book, please consider recommending...