Don’t anthropomorphize robots. They hate it when you do that.
What is Robotics Engineering?
Robotics Engineering is the study of robotic systems, combining circuitry, mechanical design, computer algorithms, and control systems to develop advanced mechatronic systems. Robotics Engineering combines several fields, including aerospace engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and material science. Robotics engineers work on a diverse set of technologies, such as self-driving cars, personal electronics, space exploration rovers, large-scale automated logistics systems, and precise robots for minimally invasive surgery. The robotics engineering field and market is in an exciting period of growth and diversification.
The University of Toronto Robotics Institute is home to the largest and most diversified robotics research program in Canada and unites robotics experts from across the University around the research pillars of autonomous field robotics, healthcare robotics, and advanced manufacturing. Faculty members include Canada Research Chairs in robotics, mechatronics, machine learning, and image analysis.
Why Choose Robotics Engineering?
Why Choose This Major?
You’re interested in:
- everything to do with robots, including hardware and software,
- working with a vast range of applications, such as aerospace, healthcare, transportation, personal electronics, and more, and
- creating a cutting-edge tech startup with an impact upon the world.
In Robotics Engineering, you will be taught by world-renowned faculty members from the University of Toronto Robotics Institute, the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, and the Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, and Computer Science.
Where Can This Major Take You?
Recent EngSci Robotics Engineering graduates have pursued graduate studies at top universities such as:
- Carnegie Mellon University
- ETH Zurich
- MIT
- UC Berkeley
- University of Michigan
- University of Toronto
Sample employers for recent Robotics Engineering graduates include:
- Accenture
- AMD
- DiDi Labs
- Intel
- Qualcomm
Courses in Year 1 and Year 2 That Relate to Robotics Engineering
Year 1
ESC180 will be your first programming course in university. Your programming skills will help you design the “brain” of your robots.
ESC190 will be your second programming course. This course introduces the C programming language, which is commonly used for interacting with hardware components. This course focuses on implementing various algorithms, which are used for completing various real-world tasks such as pathfinding.
ECE159 will help introduce you to circuitry, which you’ll need to connect the physical systems with the “brains” of your robots. The practicals involve hands-on experiences in which you build and measure the properties of your own circuits. Combined with the theory-focused lectures, this course gives you a strong foundation for all of your future ECE courses in Robotics.
PHY180 will cover concepts such as kinematics, dynamics, and interactions within systems. This course will provide a foundation for understanding further advanced physics concepts such as forward and inverse kinematics, which explain robot movement and interactions.
ESC103 will introduce the basics of linear algebra. You will use this knowledge, along with that gained from MAT185, in upper-year courses such as Dynamics and Introduction to Robotics. Robotics concepts such as rigid body movement and circuitry are described using matrices! Much of the computing a robot does in its operation is also implemented as linear algebra through code, in programming languages such as MATLAB (which you will learn in ESC103).
Year 2
ECE253 bridges the gap between the electrical components that build computers and the programming we do with them. You’ll learn basic logic circuits, logic computation and functions of a simple computer processor. Along the way you’ll learn to program simple processors in the low-level Assembly language. You will use some of these principles in upper-year courses.
AER210 combines two concepts. The first half of the course is an extension of Calculus II and focuses on vector calculus; this branch of math is crucial to understanding robot movement. The second half of the course focuses on fluid mechanics, which is the study of the motion of fluids (liquids and gases); this will be useful when designing robots to be as aerodynamic as possible.
ESC204 integrates all of your technical and design knowledge into a course-long mechatronics design project based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. You will learn a lot about building robotic systems for impactful applications.
Interesting Courses in This Major
CSC384 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
This course covers the theories and algorithms that cover a large part of the basis for artificial intelligence. The specific topics include decision-making under uncertainty, learning, classical automation and logical representations and reasoning. You will cover both practical programming applications and theory.
ROB521 Mobile Robotics and Perception
This course covers the fundamentals of mobile robotics and sensor-based perception. These topics are applicable in self-driving cars, space exploration, unmanned aerial vehicles, search and rescue, and much more. Topics include sensors, localization, mapping, route planning, path tracking and software frameworks. Labs in this course use a mix of software simulations and hardware. This course will be highly applicable for building any autonomous system.
ROB498 Robotics Capstone Course
In this course, students apply technical knowledge to solve a challenging real-world robotics problem. Supported by the teaching team comprised of domain experts, students work in groups and have considerable freedom in developing a complete robotic hardware and software system based on the “sense-plan-act” framework.
Interview with chair of the Robotics major
Check out an interview with Professor Jonathan Kelly, the chair of the Robotics major.
Where To Get Some Experience Before Deciding?
Many extracurriculars offer opportunities to engage with different areas of robotics. Lots of design teams have a circuitry team, programming team, and/or a mechanical design team, so joining any of these would be a great way to gain robotics experience. Furthermore, there are many software and AI-related opportunities that you can join to get experience with programming for robotics. We’ve listed a few that you can check out, but you’ll learn about even more once you get here.
U of T Robotics Association (UTRA)
Founded in 2004, UTRA has built robots for all kinds of purposes. Their teams include Sumo, RoboSoccer, Combat, Pacbots, Robonars workshops, and even an annual hackathon called UTRAHacks. If you are considering the Robotics major, joining one of these teams or subteams will allow you to explore your specific interests within Robotics. Check out their website to learn more about their teams, and how to get involved.
Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX)
RSX designs, builds, and tests robots for planetary exploration. They compete in space engineering competitions around the world, notably the International University Rover Challenge (URC) in Utah and the CanSat competition in Texas. Furthermore, they host SEEK (Space Exploration and Engineering Kompetition), which is an annual competition organized by RSX where students gain practical experience with space technologies. Whether you are interested in the mechanical, electrical or software aspect of robotics, RSX will have a subteam for you.
aUToronto Autodrive
aUToronto is a student design team dedicated to building a self-driving car. From 2016 to 2021, the team competed and emerged victorious in the GM/SAE AutoDrive Challenge Round I, taking four consecutive wins. Currently, they are working towards a Level 4 autonomous vehicle capable of complete navigation in urban driving environments to compete in Round II. Whether you’re interested in mechatronics & infrastructure, control systems, or autonomous vehicles in general, apply to aUToronto; best of luck with your application!
Visit the Skule Clubs and Design Teams pages to find more extracurriculars.
Check out the EngSci majors website here for more info: