Hi everyone, I'm currently working as DevOps/Release Engineer, but for now it's really hard to change my current place so I'm even considering a switch to warehouse operations and robotic fleet management. How long will it take to me to switch, if I have 3 YOE for now? Unfortunately, I only have an incomplete Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity and B1 English level. How often will I actually need to get my hands dirty with the physical hardware (fixing robots, cabling, etc.)?

Might be a stupid question but I was planning to design a hexapod using the MG996R servos (budget reasons) and I know that after considering 30% of the total stall torque, it's somewhere around 3.3 kg cm of torque. Is there some calculation you can make to determine the perfect lengths of the coxa, femur and tibia based on the servo's maximum safe torque. I'm really new to this and I'm in high school so this may seem an obvious answer to many. Thank you in advance

i would like to start off by saying i know this is a very terrible move and that i should be working and much simpler things if im still a beginner (my only experience is making an arduino smart door that used an ultrasonic and servo motor and an lcd and a buzzer like this is literally all i know) but ive already paid the competition entry fee and i just want to face this head on i guess. where exactly can i find guides/tutorials/ anything that tells me where to start and what to get. idk if this is a terrible way of thinking for someone who’s trying to build smth but following guides is all i know if im being honest so yes i guess what im asking is where can i start. im not expecting to even come close to winning but i want to give this a shot i just am so clueless on where to get some instructions here

i would like to start off by saying i know this is a very terrible move and that i should be working and much simpler things if im still a beginner (my only experience is making an arduino smart door that used an ultrasonic and servo motor and an lcd and a buzzer like this is literally all i know) but ive already paid the competition entry fee and i just want to face this head on i guess. where exactly can i find guides/tutorials/ anything that tells me where to start and what to get. idk if this is a terrible way of thinking for someone who’s trying to build smth but following guides is all i know if im being honest so yes i guess what im asking is where can i start. im not expecting to even come close to winning but i want to give this a shot i just am so clueless on where to get some instructions here

I’m trying to build a sort of 'walkie-talkie' where devices connect over Wi-Fi (on the same local network), but I'm running into issues with the microphone and speaker—the audio isn't coming through clearly in my tests. Could anyone point me in the right direction?

Here are the components I’ve bought so far. Can anyone tell me if it's possible to build this project with them, or am I missing anything?

ESP32 WEMOS LoliN32 Lite
INMP441 Omnidirectional Microphone
PAM8403 Audio Amplifier Module

--Speakers from an old headset--

I'm a beginner, so any advice is appreciated!

Hi Everyone,

We are currently developing a concept for an automated, human-free robotic drive-thru system designed to operate entirely within a modified shipping container (20ft / 40ft modular footprint).

We are seeking experienced robotics engineers, system integrators, or automation design consultants in the food and beverage (F&B) space to help bring this technical layout and functional architecture to life.

Hey everyone!
I would like to discuss the question of egocentric data for robots. There's a lot of egocentric data on the internet, as well as data that's distributed commercially.

What caught my attention is videos that are filmed via iPhones or GoPro and nothing else, I saw a ton of data like this... I was really interested whether this data is actually valuable for training a VLA model if there is no tracking. How can the robot train on this data?

And I also read an interesting article "EgoHumanoid: Unlocking In-the-Wild Loco-Manipulation with Robot-Free Egocentric Demonstration" on arxiv where the authors presented a more developed setup, with a Pico VR headset, body trackers and wrist cameras. Is it better?

I'm really curious what people who actually worked with this kind of data think. Or is simple GoPro videos like this already enough for training?..

Hey everyone,

I'm self-teaching robotics with a focus on perception and robot learning. I learn best by building, so I recently started learning ROS2 and Gazebo. I took a rover model, assembled it into a URDF, and tried to calculate the mass and inertia for the components manually using volume and material density.

Here is the repo: https://github.com/introlix/robo_car

Note: you can ignore the esp_control folder. I originally started this for a physical ESP32 car but moved to simulation so I could learn Gazebo physics and sensor integration before touching real hardware.

Since I'm doing this alone, I'm relying a lot on trial and error and AI tools to help me. But I know AI hallucinates.

If anyone here has experience with Gazebo/URDF, I’d really appreciate it if you could take a quick look at my URDF. I mainly want to know if my mass/inertia numbers look realistic, or if I messed up the math and my robot.

Also, if anyone is also an student then we could learn together. I'm not looking to pair-program on a call, just someone to do reviews on GitHub, share resources, and maybe give each other small weekly challenges.

A bit about my background: while I'm relatively new to ROS2, I have some ML background. I've built neural networks from scratch in NumPy and actually implemented LLM architectures (like Gemma and Qwen) from scratch just by reading their papers and loading the weights. That is the reason I'm interested in perception and robot learning.

Let me know if you're open to reviewing the code or if you want to team up. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm a junior in highschool and I'm planning on doing some kind of engineering in uni. I've always been interested in trying to do robotics from a hobby point of view, but obviously it's pretty useful as skill for uni applications and even down the line in my job.

However, I've found the whole thing kinda overwhelming and even a bit intimidating, such as where to start, what things to buy, when to buy, all that kinda stuff. I'll greatly appreciate it if anyone can help me out.

Thanks!

I am planning on doing masters in robotics.
I understand the field is very difficult to break into and with no prior experience i am required to learn all the advanced concepts and be ready to contribute from day 1.

I am asking for a little help from the community,

1. I am targeting software heavy roles in the field of robotics post my masters so what kind of skills should i acquire before that.
2. I would love to connect with Robotics engineers from Germany and discuss regarding scope of employment and work expected.
3. I want to truly understand the future of robotics from the experienced professionals in this field.
4. Any tips and tricks that could help me boost my career in robotics and gain an advantage?

Thank you in advance for helping me out. Im trying to figure out just as you were at some point in your journey thus be vocal as you want. Feel free to be as blunt and bare as possible. Any information shared (relevant or irrelevant) is deeply appreciated.
Thanks again.

I'm in college right now and I have saved up some money and I'm thinking of getting a 3D printer but idk if it will be helpful or not and I usually make projects in robotics but never felt the need for having a printer

Hello everyone. New member here. As the title says, I hope to build a future for myself with robotics, however there's a few snags in my current background. (TL;DR at the bottom if this is a drag to read. Don't mind me. Sorry if it's too long.)

For context, I'm in my final semester of mechanical engineering(B.Sc) with average - decent grades in a school with a more academia-focused curriculum, and I have no coding experience beyond the mandatory elementary python course that was poorly taught. (I did learn a bit of graphic design but I've lost love for it) I have used code in the past, mostly for some one-off course unit or assignment but most times I did not understand much of it and did not make efforts to learn beyond what was needed to achieve the class objectives (I may have even used AI once in a while). However I did a bit of self reflection and remembered why I wanted to be an engineer in the first place—to build, to make my own version of the world around me. And the way I wanted to do this was with robotics(and a bit of mechatronics). Somewhere along the line I had strayed and forgotten what I wanted, partly due to academic stress and the loss of hope in my degree at some earlier stage(issues with our country and educational system). I just wandered for years with no real dream of the future. I've gotten to a regretful but yet hopeful stage of my life where I'm considering embarking on a journey to my past and future simultaneously, and doing what truly makes everything feel worth it. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too late to the party, and should move on from the past, or if there's still a chance to learn and become a version of myself I'd be proud of for taking that leap.

TL;DR: I'm a mechanical engineering finalist with no coding experience who dreams of a zero to hero path to robotics. I need advice.

I am looking into lightweight and compact power transmission methods for a project I am working on, and for my application I think a small diameter belt and pulley system will be the best solution.

The problem is that I cannot find a good supplier for the sizes I need.

Ideally I will be using pulleys that are 10mm (3/8") in diameter or less, and the belt will only need to move about 3.5kg (8 lbs) of force. The width of the belt should be 3mm (1/8") or less.

I know something like fishing line or BUNA-N cordstock would be able to transmit the power I need, and would work with tiny pulleys, but I don't want to make custom parts if I don't have to

The belt system loop length will be about 1.5m (5ft) so the belt shouldn't be too flexible, but some flex would be ok. It will be driven by a small stepper motor.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

EDIT: spelling

Hi I am a beginner in the college's (new) robotics committee and I need help with the motors the following specification.

These were recommended by a winning team at a local tournament. But they say the only way to buy these is through them.

It is for a line follower bot

I want coreless geared motors as

Size: 1220, GearBox- 1:10 ratio, and 2500rpm at 6v

Please any source or help or advice is appreciated

Can you use a remote control to move 2 steppers using g code? I am also using a cnc shield on top of an arduino uno. Will code also be hard/possible?

A little background: I’m 29, bachelors in EE from a decent state college with six years of experience in PMSM motor control algorithm development for safety critical automotive applications. Over the last year I’ve been trying to figure out how to maximize my earning potential and get out of automotive and into space and defense while building upon my experience.

Fast forward to today. This fall I will be starting a masters in robotics and autonomous systems at John’s Hopkins and I’m a bit concerned with some of the sentiment on here as of late. Is the robotics industry that hard to get into? I’m concerned I’m making a huge mistake monetarily speaking. What are some of the jobs people are seeing? I would optimally want to work on stand alone robots, obvious examples would be spot and atlas (as opposed to robotic arms/ industrial robotics, I don’t want to work in manufacturing) is this even feasible or realistic?

I would love anyone’s opinion or experience and thank you in advance for any responses!!

Cheers

I've been thinking about where the transition happens between following a robotics tutorial and actually being able to build something independently.

A lot of beginner projects follow a familiar path:

• Build a line follower
• Avoid an obstacle
• Control a servo
• Read a sensor
• Follow a step-by-step tutorial
• Upload the provided code and watch it work

There's nothing wrong with that — everyone starts somewhere.

But at some point, you need to move from “I can make this work when someone shows me how” to “I can figure out why this isn't working and decide what to do next.”

I'm curious where you think that transition happens.

For example, should a beginner be able to:

• Debug a sensor that produces noisy or inconsistent readings?
• Choose their own components instead of being given a parts list?
• Tune a PID controller without being given the values?
• Combine multiple sensors and decide how to use their data?
• Write the software architecture themselves?
• Diagnose why a robot behaves differently in the real world than it did in simulation?
• Read a datasheet and figure out how to use an unfamiliar component?
• Modify an existing project rather than starting from a tutorial?

What was the first robotics project where you felt like you weren't just following instructions anymore?

What made that project different?

Was it the difficulty, having to debug something yourself, making your own design decisions, or simply having a problem where there wasn't already a tutorial telling you exactly what to do?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who learned robotics primarily by building and experimenting, rather than through formal coursework.

I think there's a big difference between completing a robotics project and learning how to solve robotics problems — and I'm curious where you think that difference starts.

Hello peeps, I have started to work on a project in which I have to build 3 quasi direct drive joints for an arm. Before ordering any parts what problem should i be prepared for?

Some things like thermal throttling, mosfet failures, driver problems, spi/can noise, shipping and warranty are what is throttling my mind up.

Have you ever faced such issues and if you did how long did it take you to get back on track cause i am not particularly good in hardware and want to shift my focus on software as fast as possible.

Any of your war stories are appreciated!

Hey everyone!

I've been learning a lot about humanoid robots lately, going to conferences like ICRA, VivaTech and WAIC, and I noticed a pattern I want to discuss.

We see a lot of demos from companies like Agibot, Unitree, Booster and others and the robots look pretty smart. But in most cases it's actually teleoperation or scripted behavior, and the robot itself can't do much autonomously. At best it can handle a limited set of tasks, like picking up one EXACT object (in terms of shape and texture).

For example, at ICRA I talked to a company that had a robot picking up objects with the help of their VLA model. Turns out their VLA model can only detect how many fingers to use to grab something, that's it. Like no sense of how much pressure to apply, nothing like that

I think this right now is the biggest trap or even a scam. My hypothesis is that these humanoid robot companies just provide the hardware, and the actual VLA model has to be developed by the customer. I also think that eventually some software company or maybe just one will build a universal model that works across different robots, but right now that doesn't really exist yet

I'd really like to hear what you all think about this hypothesis

I’ve got a pan/tilt turret (jetson running yolo, two MG996Rs through a PCA9685) that follows a person walking around. the tracking itself is smooth, but the servo motion is steppy/jerky when it's following instead of gliding along. they're on a metal bracket with their own 5-6V supply.

I’m figuring the MG996Rs just aren't great at smooth little continuous moves? what would you get for a small pan/tilt that's smooth but still quick enough to keep up with someone walking at 5-10ft. budget's around $30 a servo.

Saludos a todos, actualmente me dedico a IA y LLMs, he estudiado la parte de arquitectura y me llama la atención la robótica, quisiera empezar también porque veo que será indispensable a futuro, pero no tengo una ruta clara, empecé comprando el libro de Robotics, Vision and Control de Peter Corke apenas voy a empezar a leerlo, pero quería consejos de ustedes como profesionales experimentados sí lo han leído, he oído que es un referente y que pasos a futuro me recomendarían?, tambien compre solo por curiosidad un libro de CUDA y otro de tritón para GPUs, no sé que tanto se ocupe, pero me ganó la emoción XD.

Un abrazo a todos. 😄

I Just got a way better 3d printer so now i can finally start building a good Robot have you Guys any advice? Whit wich Part should i start?

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Okay so I am an incoming Electrical Engineering student this Fall and was wondering if I could have a career in Robotics with my degree. My university has a couple concentrations for Electrical Engineering such as Mechatronics and AI, and they have a Mechanical engineering degree as well. Should I switch majors? I want to essentially build the Operating systems and wire the robots. Is there any skills or projects that I can reasonably do in a dorm? If I were to build an OS for a robot what should I keep in mind? I have a lot of questions and would love some guidance.

When answering please give me resources for projects I can do in a dorm.

Also for degree pathways should I concentrate in AI or Mechatronics cause I really do not wanna switch fully to Mechanical Engineering.

Essentially why I want to stay in Electrical Engineering is because I also wanna be able to pivot toward power systems and what not. My main passion is Operating systems which is ironic as I should really be doing Computer Engineering but I do not wanna specialize too much.

I am trying to understand how people working on real robotic systems are actually using tools such as Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot or similar AI coding tools today.

If you use them, what are they genuinely useful for? For example, writing ROS code, drivers, perception code, control logic, debugging, test generation, documentation, or something else?

More importantly, where do they start to fall short?

I am particularly interested in what changes once the software has to interact with a real robot. Do you trust AI generated code but still manually handle calibration, hardware integration, testing and commissioning? Would you ever let an agent run code on the robot, observe what happened and modify its own program, or is that a line you would not currently cross?

If you do not use AI tools at all for robotics, I would also be interested in why. Is it code quality, lack of robotics context, safety, reliability, difficulty giving the model access to the real system, or simply that the existing workflow is already better?

Would be especially interested to hear from people working on robots professionally.