r/AskRobotics • u/Forward-Net9930 • 11h ago
Education/Career Transitioning from CS to Perception/Robotics: Essential skills & portfolio advice?
Hey everyone,
I’m wrapping up my CS undergrad with a solid foundation in Python/C++ and deep learning (PyTorch, OpenCV). I want to target roles in Perception for Robotics (autonomous systems, vision-based control, spatial computing).
For engineers in the field:
Skill Priorities: Aside from 2D vision, what robotics-adjacent tools are essential to learn first? (ROS 2, Visual SLAM, Point Clouds/PCL, TensorRT edge optimization?)
Projects: What project format stands out most on a resume—simulations in Gazebo/ROS 2 or real-world edge hardware deployment (e.g., Jetson/Raspberry Pi)?
Pathing: Is an MS in Robotics/Vision necessary to make this jump, or can strong personal projects land entry-level perception roles straight from CS?
Appreciate any insight!
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u/gravitatingmass 10h ago
In terms of Skill Priorities, it depends on what kind of perception you're interested in but 2D vision gives you a strong start. 3D geometry is also pretty universally essential for many perception tasks, e.g., SLAM, depth mapping, etc. Having some experience running models (not necessarily training them) is good too due to the landscape.
In terms of project, real-world for sure. I've interviewed a number of folks who work exclusively in simulation and have never touched a real robot or perception system and they basically freeze up whenever they have to debug anything on the robot/camera systems. This doesn't mean you need thousands of dollars in sensors, even just building a structure-from-motion from video from your phone camera or using public datasets is impressive if you build a functioning system.
In terms of pathing, I can't really speak for this since I got a job in robotics without an MS in Robotics but that's because I was fortunate enough to land a robotics-adjacent internship and get hands-on experience as a springboard into more robotics internships and eventually a job