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How can I get into robotics? I absolutely love the field from the outside but have zero idea how to get into it. Currently a software engineer & studying mechan

How can I get into robotics? I absolutely love the field from the outside but have zero idea how to get into it. Currently a software engineer & studying mechanical engineering part time with a goal of going into robotics eventually, but it doesn’t seem to have a natural starting point for hobbyists.

the_only_law 3y ago
> Currently a software engineer & studying mechanical engineering part time with a goal of going into robotics eventually Well it sounds like you’re a bit beyond being a just hobbyist if you’re pursuing formal education. Sorry if this is just me being ignorant , but does your masters programs have any career resources you could look into?
- EddieEngineers 3y ago
  Yeah they do, however I was more interested in tinkering on projects on the weekends much like how I learnt to code. So many things seem to be simulation related with Gazebo or whatever, I’d be keen to build stuff but following a guide to help cover the EE parts.
  - complex1314 3y ago
    For my part time bachelor's in electronics we made an autonomous drone that could fly a preplanned pattern and recognize people through machine learning. Software: Ardupilot and ROS. Hardware:home made 3d printed drone,PX4, Nvidia Jetson, some Intel camera). Very fun and absolutely something you could tinker with as an hobbyist (it was basically a thesis on a hobbyist project). We first tried with a raspberry pi based autopilot, it crashed and we rebuilt it again and again until we realized the GPS was broken. Example code from the project for inspiration: https://github.com/bachelor-2020 https://github.com/bachelor-2020
    - EddieEngineers 3y ago
      Thank you!
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mchusma 3y ago
My 2 cents, as someone who has been mostly a hobbyist here. (1) Find a buddy who is also interested in it. Things are a lot better if you have a friend. (2) Then try to build something based on turtlebot or similar platform. Start with just something you can make roam around your house and do stuff. (3) If you can afford to budget something like $5k+ to it overall, it will be a lot easier. I have seen people try to do everything on a shoestring and it makes things a lot harder. The reason is hardware is hard, and you can move a lot faster if you can just throw things at it. E.g. instead of getting 1 Rasberry Pi or Jetson, get 2-3. Get extra cameras, get 2 extra bases. A buddy and I got a fully working robot roaming around the house doing basic stuff (chasing dogs, etc) in about 3 months, but we both would just show up with new parts. Having a 3d printer is helpful to make things looking good, but not necessary.

the_only_law 3y ago

> Currently a software engineer & studying mechanical engineering part time with a goal of going into robotics eventually Well it sounds like you’re a bit beyond being a just hobbyist if you’re pursuing formal education. Sorry if this is just me being ignorant , but does your masters programs have any career resources you could look into?

EddieEngineers 3y ago
Yeah they do, however I was more interested in tinkering on projects on the weekends much like how I learnt to code. So many things seem to be simulation related with Gazebo or whatever, I’d be keen to build stuff but following a guide to help cover the EE parts.
- complex1314 3y ago
  For my part time bachelor's in electronics we made an autonomous drone that could fly a preplanned pattern and recognize people through machine learning. Software: Ardupilot and ROS. Hardware:home made 3d printed drone,PX4, Nvidia Jetson, some Intel camera). Very fun and absolutely something you could tinker with as an hobbyist (it was basically a thesis on a hobbyist project). We first tried with a raspberry pi based autopilot, it crashed and we rebuilt it again and again until we realized the GPS was broken. Example code from the project for inspiration: https://github.com/bachelor-2020 https://github.com/bachelor-2020
  - EddieEngineers 3y ago
    Thank you!

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mchusma 3y ago

My 2 cents, as someone who has been mostly a hobbyist here. (1) Find a buddy who is also interested in it. Things are a lot better if you have a friend. (2) Then try to build something based on turtlebot or similar platform. Start with just something you can make roam around your house and do stuff. (3) If you can afford to budget something like $5k+ to it overall, it will be a lot easier. I have seen people try to do everything on a shoestring and it makes things a lot harder. The reason is hardware is hard, and you can move a lot faster if you can just throw things at it. E.g. instead of getting 1 Rasberry Pi or Jetson, get 2-3. Get extra cameras, get 2 extra bases. A buddy and I got a fully working robot roaming around the house doing basic stuff (chasing dogs, etc) in about 3 months, but we both would just show up with new parts. Having a 3d printer is helpful to make things looking good, but not necessary.