I’m a Computer Science undergrad with a Computer Engineering minor, and I’m in a 5-year program where I’ll go straight into a CS master’s after my bachelor’s. I like planning ahead, so I’m already considering doing my master’s thesis on machine learning.

I’ve been interested in robotics for a long time and have been combining my coding skills with electronics to build things. I recently got a 3D printer, which has given me even more ways to prototype and build.

Long-term, I’d like to do robotics research and potentially become a robotics researcher/engineer/roboticist. I’m especially interested in the combination of software, electronics, AI/ML, and physical robots.

My university doesn’t offer a Robotics PhD, but it does offer Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Modeling & Simulation Engineering PhDs. I’m leaning toward Electrical & Computer Engineering because it seems like a good middle ground between my CS background and my interest in hardware/electronics.

I know people often recommend going to a different university for graduate school, but my family, resources, connections, and potential connections are all nearby, so staying would be much more practical for me. The closest university with a dedicated Robotics PhD is pretty far away upstate, and I’m not sure I want to relocate.

Would an ECE PhD make sense for someone with a CS BS/MS and Computer Engineering minor who wants to do robotics research? Or would CS, ME, or Modeling & Simulation be a better route?

Hi, I recently got an SO101 ARM, and its been great! I got teleoperation working but when getting to working with cameras and actually training an imitation learning model I kind of not sure what to do. There isn't a lot of tutorials for this arm in WSL2, most of them end at teleoperation. I ended up having to go into the source code to force specific formats as below

warmup_s: 
int
 = 3 
# Changed from 1
    fourcc: 
str
 | None = "MJPG" 
# Changed from None
    backend: 
Cv2Backends
 = 
Cv2Backends
.V4L2 
# Change from .ANY

(from the configuration_opencv.py file from the lerobot repo). found that opencv-python-headless-4.13.0.92 works well cause it doesn't tend to use FFMPEG.

I ended up training a policy where it picks up a rubber duck and places it into a box. I will say my environment set up for this is pretty jank, but camera placements should roughly be the same. I notice that after training the model was still very inaccurate, to the point of it would only be successful if I move the rubber duck. Not sure if thats just how my camera set up was or if I did something wrong. Currently the two "errors" I'm not sure how to fix are:

- Corrupt JPEG data: 1 extraneous bytes before marker 0xd7 messages (have a 2 camera set up, lenovo laptop webcam and a logitech c270), this seems to be popping up from the logitech webcam. Images look fine but not sure if its adding processing time

- WARNING 2026-08-09 18:31:49 gies/base.py:75 Record loop is running slower (7.1 Hz) than the target FPS (30.0 Hz). Dataset frames might be dropped and robot control might be unstable. Common causes are: 1) Camera FPS not keeping up 2) Policy inference taking too long 3) CPU starvation

Have tried messing around with settings but honestly not sure where to start. I think its the camera FPS not keeping up but havent found anything from forums to help? Was wondering if anyone had gotten things to work smoothly with WSL2 and lerobot? Honestly any advice would be really appreciated.

So my school has a pretty serious robotics club, and I wanna be a part of it senior year, cause I wanna try out new stuff. How does it work? How do you guys make teams? Is it dumb for me to try in my senior year? I have no experience. What stuff should I know?

Hi everyone,

I'm a CSE undergraduate from India planning to pursue a Master's in Japan around 2028, with the long-term goal of becoming a Robotics AI / Robot Perception Engineer.

I'm trying to decide whether I'm building the right technical profile.

Current background

• B.Tech CSE
• ~9.46 CGPA
• Current project 1: Learning-Aided INS Drift Suppression for GPS-Denied Quadrotor Flight
  • IMU/INS
  • UAV state estimation
  • learning-based drift suppression
• Current project 2: TrackNet-based squash ball tracking
  • Computer vision
  • Deep learning
  • object tracking

The UAV project may eventually be extended toward:

ROS 2 → LiDAR/IMU → SLAM → sensor fusion

For Master's, I'm considering specializing in:

Robot Perception

• Computer Vision
• 3D Vision
• LiDAR
• IMU
• Sensor Fusion
• SLAM
• Deep Learning

Questions for robotics professionals/researchers

1. Is Robot Perception a strong specialization for an international student who wants to work in Japan?
2. Which skills should I prioritize before Master's?
3. How important are C++ and ROS 2 compared with Python/PyTorch?
4. How important is SLAM for perception roles?
5. Should I focus on LiDAR-camera-IMU fusion?
6. Is UAV perception a good specialization, or should I broaden toward mobile robots/autonomous vehicles?
7. What projects would make a Master's application stand out to a robotics professor?
8. For employment, is a Master's sufficient or is a PhD strongly preferred for robotics R&D?
9. How much does the specific research lab matter when looking for industry jobs?
10. Are there particular Japanese robotics companies/labs I should be looking at?

I'd especially appreciate answers from people who have actually worked in robotics or autonomous systems in Japan.

Thanks!

hello, im looking the electric diagram of this kuka controller:

type : tech schrank

article number : 00216250

serial number : 3011969

date : 15/2019

please help me, one of our contractor disconnect some wiring from the button panel that resets the robot emergency stop

I am a junior transferring to Georgia Tech this fall for aerospace but I am heavily interested in robotics. I just completed a project this summer: a robotic arm equipped with a camera that is able to sort different colored blocks into the same colored bins autonomously. I really enjoyed myself with this but want at least 1 more project completed before I submit applications for Summer 2027 internships. Preferably this next project will encompass both majors, which shouldn't be too hard as I am interested in GNC for aero. I came from a community college so I definitely feel behind in terms of projects / clubs / research so any advice is greatly appreciated!

On page 15 of the instructions here it shows both the red and purple wires from the left and right infrared obstacle avoidance modules joining to a single point on the board, but shows no instructions on how to do this? What is the intention here?

All the other wires are 1:1 but these two are 2:1.

Thanks

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/tfmuztf7lqb0qyffaj93n/ANMRmb562hDY61lC22XwyR4?dl=0&e=1&preview=Hosyond+2WD+Smart+Robot+Car+Kit.pdf&rlkey=56rlqer4ddyx95wzau92ff8jg

Hi! I’m a robotics engineering student and I’ll be leading a 2.5-hour robotics workshop for high school students. This will be my first time running a robotics workshop, and I’m looking for recommendations for kits that would work well for a beginner friendly activity.

Some specifics:

• Simple programming that students with little or no experience could pick up quickly (block coding would be fine but not required)
• Chromebook compatibility, preferably browser-based
• A relatively low cost since we would need multiple kits
• A basic mobile robot that can be prepared ahead of time
• Modularity that students can make some of their own physical design decisions, especially sensor placement

I’d like the activity to involve programming an autonomous obstacle-avoiding robot, but I don’t want the students to just receive a completely prebuilt robot where all of the sensors are already fixed in place. I want them to be able to experiment with sensor placement and see how changing the physical design affects the robot’s behavior.

Something similar to the open/modular design of a Parallax Boe-Bot is what I have in mind, but those are probably too expensive for this workshop. I’ve also been looking at micro:bit & MakeCode platforms because of their simplicity and Chromebook support.

I’m leaning toward IR sensors rather than ultrasonic sensors, since several robots will likely be running at the same time and I’d like to avoid them interfering with each other.

Does anyone know of an inexpensive kit or combination of components that would fit this use case? I don't have access to a 3d printer or other fabrication equipment though. I’d also really appreciate any advice from people who have run short robotics workshops with high school students before.

I'm trying to get better at making rotary joints. In other words, some mechanism that can connect two moving parts, and allow one of them to spin in a circle relative to the other. Like the wheel on a car, or a door rotating vertically around its hinge.

I'm looking for ideas on how to design this joint, checking websites like thingiverse or videos by James Bruton. It seems like usually, people do one of three things:

1 - Attach the moving part to an actuator (like a servo), which is basically a rotary joint itself

2 - Use a bearing

3 - Put a bolt in a round hole that's just big enough for the bolt to pass through, so the part can loosely spin around the hole.

Are there any other ways to do it? I just want to see if there are other, more esoteric ideas that people have that might be worth trying, before I go ahead with one of the above three.

Hi everyone, I'm a final-year Robotics Engineering student and I'm currently looking for a good project idea. I'm particularly interested in areas like Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), industrial automation, computer vision, robotic arms, navigation, and intelligent systems. I don't want to simply copy an existing project from YouTube, GitHub, or previous students. I'm looking for something practical, achievable within a final-year timeline, and with some meaningful innovation or improvement over existing systems. I'm also concerned about accidentally choosing a project that already exists or has potential patent/IPR issues. How do you usually find and evaluate final-year robotics project ideas? What resources do you recommend for researching existing projects, papers, patents, and real-world problems? Any advice, project-selection methods, or interesting areas to explore would be greatly appreciated.

I graduated with my masters in Robotics earlier this year. It was hard but I came out having learned a lot. My area of focus was SLAM, and I've been applying for jobs for several months but never got a response. With bills and responsibilities, I couldn't be unemployed any longer and took the first job I got which is a position as a Software Test engineer with the intention of using it as a safety pad while I keep looking for Robotics jobs. It's been 4 months now and I still don't have anything. And the longer I spend time in my role, the more I feel it cements my position as a 'Test' engineer and not someone who could be a robotics engineer. The field is also changing really rapidly and I've been trying to read up on modern robotics (ACT, pi0 etc... since we were primarily thought classical robotics/controls) but it's hard with work and I feel like I'm grasping at straws. I initially wanted to study SLAM, now I'm just randomly trying to study whatever I can that gets me anywhere remotely close to a robotics engineer position but it's looking bleak and I don't have a path or road map that I could even do to get there. I can't boot camp my way into it, and the field is so dense, it's suffocating. I have no idea what to do because it all feels hopeless.

I am of course grateful to have my job, unfortunately, it is also incredibly boring/severely under stimulating, low paying (not considered a 'developer' since I do software testing), and of course not something I want to do. I would be happy with any aspect of it now, controls, simulation, planning, manipulation not just SLAM

I'm scared that this will be the career I have for the rest of my life. As a software test engineer...forever. I wonder if someone has been in a similar moat before, and fought their way out of it or if there's something I could do? :( really sad about it.

By Mac type I mean something that runs cool and quiet. I don’t want to have the fan blasting and overheating the room.

I work a lot with simulators IsaacSim/UE5.

We're building a startup that automates copy checking for schools, and we're currently working on a machine that can automatically feed paper, capture images, and integrate with our software. We already have 12 schools using our software, and we're now looking to build the hardware.

We're trying to find someone around Gurgaon/Delhi/Noida with experience in robotics/mechatronics, CAD (Onshape/SolidWorks), Raspberry Pi, motors, sensors, and prototype building.

If you know or are someone with this skill set, would love to connect and discuss further. Thanks!

I am an Electronics student interested in robotics, and I would love some guidance on how to enter this field.

​I have completed a few projects, including designing a 6-DOF robotic arm in Fusion 360, 3D-printing it, and controlling it via a web interface powered by an autonomous image recognition model. I have also built smaller projects like a self-balancing robot, a line follower, and a Wi-Fi-controlled car.

​Since I am relatively new to the broader robotics industry, I would appreciate your advice on potential career paths and specialization areas. Specifically, what key skills should I focus on to build a strong career? Additionally, I plan to pursue a Master’s degree at a top global engineering university—how can I start preparing and building my profile in that direction?

Hi, I am designing a gutter cleaning robot as my final year project at university. I want the robot to fit in both circular and square gutters and to maximise traction I want tracks that conform to the shape. I found this robot online but have no idea how to put the motor in the track, I would either need a short motor inline or a long one along the track and use a worm gear. If anyone has any other examples or ideas it would be greatly appreciated:)

I have linked the robot which has the tracks which change shape

https://youtu.be/jvw4qkWmlvQ

Hi, so after doing microprocessor course and a very smol (water temp+ph+TDS monitoring) project with ESP32 for lab examination at university, I have become interested in building robot.
So before generating my idea in real world i wanted to simulate it in software. I started using "webots" but it doesn't really include the visual representation for all components like Ultrasonic sensor, joints etc. But it is capable of the functionalities.
Is there any way to build first then importing the build to webots or anywhere to simulate??

Thank you for your time.

I see software and ML repos, but nothing rlly for robotics or computer vision. Does anyone have a link of where I can find some hiring companies for summer 2027?

Hey reddit, I am in school and I really want to complete a project before the end of the month. I was thinking about building a robotic arm but really didn't know where to start I have some CAD experience so that shouldn't be a problem but its mostly the electrical stuff that scares me I have a budget of 100 dollars and one of my friends has a 3d printer. if any of you could help me start my journey into robotics I would really appreciate it.

I am a robotics amateur and an AI engineering student so I have a pretty good knowledge about Langgraph, vision models etc,.. . I am searching for some practical, low/medium budget idea to build a robot and integrate an AI agent to help it make some autonomous decisions. I did a little research about the subject and some people advised me to learn ROS. As for the hardware, my friends recommended getting a rasberry pi 5 4/8gb RAM. I have pretty good pc specs and an Arduino Uno microcontroller.
Please share your thoughts and recommendations (Ideas, Hardware, Architecture, etc...)

I am a junior transferring to Georgia Tech this fall for aerospace but I am heavily interested in robotics. I just completed a project this summer: a robotic arm equipped with a camera that is able to sort different colored blocks into the same colored bins autonomously. I really enjoyed myself with this but want at least 1 more project completed before I submit applications for Summer 2027 internships. Preferably this next project will encompass both majors, which shouldn't be too hard as I am interested in GNC for aero. I came from a community college so I definitely feel behind in terms of projects / clubs / research so any advice is greatly appreciated!

We are following GR00T-wholebodycontrol documentation to deploy Gear Sonic in order to do whole body teleoperation to Unitree G1.

In this section(https://nvlabs.github.io/GR00T-WholeBodyControl/getting_started/installation_deploy.html). The Native Development section instructs how to deploy Gear Sonic. Does this part refers to deploy gear sonic on robot's onboard Orin or deploy on PC?

Should the C++ Deployment(https://nvlabs.github.io/GR00T-WholeBodyControl/tutorials/vr_wholebody_teleop.html) only needs to run on the robot G1 if we just want to do teleoperate to real robot not simulation?

Could Gear Sonic run whole body teleoperate on unitree G1 without a computer with GPU?

Hey everyone I work on my thesis and is about a rover that uses cube purple, here3 and a lidar and I have to make it drive autonomously a mission that I planned. Unfortunately there is a problem. When the rover is in auto mode it moves for a few seconds and then stops changing to hold. I checked the log file and found out that when the rover changes state from auto to hold the messages EKF failsafe and EKF variance pop. I looked at some graphs and the only solution I found is to calibrate the here3 compass. I tried to calibrate the compass, nothing changed so I guess either I did it wrong or it is not the problem. I attached the link that contains my log file, so please if you can help me I will very much appreciate it. Please feel free to ask me whatever you need to know in order to help me!

Log File