9781422275191

Cool Careers in Science l i i

Building robots for war Streamlining factory floors How robots are built Testing: From laboratories to the field

Developers

ALTERNATIVE REALITY DEVELOPERS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SCIENTISTS COMPUTER GAME & APP DEVELOPERS DRIVERLESS VEHICLE DEVELOPERS DRONE PILOTS ENTERTAINMENT ENGINEERS FORENSIC SCIENTISTS PROFESSIONAL HACKERS RENEWABLE ENERGY WORKERS ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS

Cool Careers in Science

Developers

ANDREW MORKES

MASON CREST PHILADELPHIA MIAMI

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free)

Copyright © 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

First printing

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

HARDBACK ISBN: 978-1-4222-4302-2 SERIES ISBN: 978-1-4222-4292-6 E-BOOK ISBN: 978-1-4222-7519-1

Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress

Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Interior and cover design: Jana Rade, impact studios Interior layout: Annalisa Gumbrecht, Studio Gumbrecht Production: Michelle Luke Proofreader: Susan Uttendorfsky

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 5: The Future of Robotics and Careers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Further Reading & Internet Resources . . 93 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Educational Video Links . . . . . . . 96 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 CHAPTER 1: What Do Robotics Developers Do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 CHAPTER 2: Terms of the Trade . . . . 31 CHAPTER 3: Preparing for the Field and Making a Living . . . . . . . . . . 43 CHAPTER 4: Key Skills and Methods of Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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Introduction

CAREERS IN SCIENCE OFFER GOOD PAY, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE, AND OTHER REWARDS Where would we be without science? Well, we’d be without computers, smartphones, robots, and other cutting-edge technologies. Crimes would take longer to solve without modern forensic analysis techniques. We’d be stuck relying on environmentally unfriendly fossil fuels instead of using renewable energy. And life would be less fun because we wouldn’t have drones, awe-inspiring and physics-defying roller coasters, and the computer and video games that we play for hours. Job markets are sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but a career in science (which, for the purposes of this series, includes the related fields of technology and engineering) is almost a sure path to a comfortable life. The following paragraphs provide more information on why a career in science is a great choice. Good pay. People in science careers earn some of the highest salaries in the work world. The median annual salary for those in engineering careers in the United States is $79,180, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDL). This is much higher than the median earnings ($37,690) for all careers. Additionally, those in life, physical, and social science occupations earn $64,510. Science professionals who become managers or who launch their own businesses can earn anywhere from $150,000 to $300,000 or more.

7

Strong employment prospects. There are shortages of science workers throughout the world, according to the consulting firm ManpowerGroup. In fact, engineering workers are the third most in-demand occupational field in the world. Technicians rank fourth, and computer and information technology professionals rank sixth. There’s a shortage of software engineers in more than twenty countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom, according to the recruitment firm Michael Page. Other science careers where there is a shortage of workers include electronics engineers (nineteen countries), electrical engineers (sixteen countries), data analysts (eleven countries), and hardware engineers (six countries). The USDL predicts that employment of computer and information technology professionals in the United States will grow by 13 percent during the next decade. Career opportunities for those in life, physical, and social science occupations will grow by 10 percent. Both of these occupational fields are growing faster than the average for all careers. The outlook is also good for engineering professionals. Employment is expected to grow by 7 percent during the next decade. The strongest opportunities will be found in robotics and renewable energy. By 2026, the USDL predicts that there will be more than 876,000 new jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Rewarding work environment and many career options. A career in science is fulfilling because you get to use both your creative and practical sides to develop new technologies (or improve existing ones), solve problems, and make the world a better place. In the instance of robotics, you get the chance to develop robots that will save humans time, toil, and the risk of working in dangerous conditions, among other uses. There’s a common misconception that science workers spend most of their time in dreary, windowless laboratories or

8 COOL CAREERS IN SCIENCE: ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS

research facilities. While they do spend lots of time in these places, they also spend time in the field, testing, troubleshooting, and trying out their inventions or discoveries. Some science professionals launch their own businesses, which can be both fun and very rewarding. Job opportunities are available throughout the United States and the world. Science professionals play such an important role in our modern world that there are job openings almost anywhere, although many positions are found in big cities. IS A CAREER IN SCIENCE RIGHT FOR ME? Test your interest. How many of these statements do you agree with?

___ My favorite class in school is science. ___ I also enjoy computer science classes. ___ I like to learn about scientific breakthroughs. ___ I like to design and build things. ___ I like to solve puzzles.

___ I enjoy doing science experiments. ___ I am curious about how things work. ___ I am creative and have a good imagination. ___ I like to build electronics and other things that require electricity. ___ I like to take things apart and see how they work. ___ I am good at math and physics. If many of the statements above describe you, then you should consider a career in the sciences. But you don’t need to select a career right now. Check out this book on a career as a robotics developer, and other books in the series, to learn more about occupational paths in the sciences and related fields. Good luck with your career exploration!

Introduction 9

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND autonomous : not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent and self-directed composite material : a substance made of two or more materials that, when combined, has different chemical or physical properties from the original substances feasibility : the degree of being easily or conveniently done sonar : a system that emits sound pulses and detects or measures their return after being reflected from objects or structures in a particular area

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Chapter 1

WHAT DO ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS DO? WHAT IS A ROBOT?

The robots are coming! The robots are coming! Newsflash: They’re already here and playing an increasingly large role in our lives. But these robots (which are also known as “droids”) are not like the killer droids we see in movies and on television. Instead, they have been introduced to make our lives better. So, what exactly is a robot? Experts disagree on one single definition, but a robot can basically be described as an autonomous machine that is designed to sense, compute, and act to perform tasks more efficiently and less expensively than can be done by humans. Some robots have obstacle-detecting sonar , sensors, cameras, and other types of technology that allow them to sense and interact with the world around them. Many are equipped with appendages (legs and arms) that allow them to move and interact with their environment.

Introduction: What Do Robotics Developers Do? 11

A robot vacuum cleans while its “owner” relaxes with her tablet computer.

TYPES OF ROBOTS Robots come in all sizes. An example of a small robot would be the Roomba robot vacuum that keeps your carpet clean. On the other hand, the Japanese engineer Masaaki Nagumo built a 28-foot (8.5-meter) tall, 5-ton robot he named LW-Mononofu. It can’t walk very fast, but it has a bazooka- like air gun on its right arm that can shoot sponge balls at around 87 miles (140 kilometers) per hour. Few people would want to get into a sponge ball fight with LW-Mononofu! But a robot’s size is just one way to look at the different types of robots and their functions. Some have two legs, or three, four, or more arms. Others have no arms. Droids can fly, travel on or under the water, or ride on train tracks or other track systems. Some robots can walk and run, while others are anchored in place but have moveable arms. Others are designed to act and look just like humans. It’s clear that there are countless types of robots. The following paragraphs provide more information on the different types of droids.

12 COOL CAREERS IN SCIENCE: ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS

Learn more about the design and construction of LW-Mononofu

ROBOT AUTONOMY The autonomy level of a robot varies greatly. Some robots can make decisions and perform actions without human direction. They are called autonomous robots . Others, known as semi-autonomous robots , are partially controlled by human operators. Many robots rely on both autonomous behavior and instructions conveyed by human-directed remote control.

STATIONARY ROBOTS A stationary robot is one that is installed in a fixed position but it can move its arm or arms up, down, or sideways to perform various functions. End effectors—robot grippers, paint sprayers, welding torches, and other accessory devices or tools—are attached to or built into the end of the robot’s arm or arms so that it can complete various tasks. You can think of end effectors as droid versions of human hands. Stationary robots are often

CHAPTER 1: WHAT DO ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS DO? 13

used in industrial settings, such as on an assembly line in an automobile production facility. They are a good replacement or complement to human workers because they never get tired and can perform repetitive tasks without getting bored or losing their concentration. In manufacturing plants, stationary robots make fast and powerful movements that can be very dangerous to humans. As a result, cages are built around these industrial robots to keep humans safe. Stationary robots are sort of the grunts of the robot world. Many do not have any type of robot intelligence (known as artificial intelligence) built in, nor sensors to help them understand what’s going on in their work environments—although some are designed to have a certain degree of

An engineer uses computer software to control a stationary robot.

14 COOL CAREERS IN SCIENCE: ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS

autonomy. They simply perform the same task or tasks over and over until they are directed to stop by humans or they break down. These types of robots need human operators and, because no type of technology works perfectly forever, maintenance mechanics to keep them going. Two well-known stationary robots that are the exception to the practice of being fixed in one place are Amazon.com’s Kiva and ReThink’s Baxter robots. Kiva is basically a smart robot forklift that travels around Amazon warehouses to gather products that will be shipped to customers. It can move at a steady 5 miles (8 kilometers) per hour and carry packages weighing up to 700 pounds (317.5 kilograms). At many Amazon warehouses, armies of Kiva robots roam the factory floors gathering up merchandise for human workers to package and ship. The bots are managed by a central computer that keeps them from bumping into each other as they work. Kiva robots have helped Amazon cut operating expenses by about 20 percent, according to a study by Deutsche Bank. Baxter is a stationary robot that has been designed to work both independently and collaboratively with humans. Some describe it as even friendly in a human way. It has a rectangular head with human-like eyes and sensors that allow it to react and interact with its environment, including humans. Baxter can be trained to perform a variety of tasks, such as packing and unpacking items; operating heat and seal, welding, and stamping machines; and packaging products. If Baxter encounters any problems as it works, the robot makes a confused face and the human operator can step in to address the problem. Baxter does not have legs, but it can be moved by humans to various work areas in the factory as needed.

CHAPTER 1: WHAT DO ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS DO? 15

COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS

Source: International Federation of Robotics

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Republic of Korea

Singapore Germany

Japan

Sweden Denmark

United States

Italy

Belgium

10. Taiwan

MOBILE ROBOTS A mobile robot is an autonomous or semi-autonomous robot that can move back and forth between various locations on its own power. They are extremely popular today, and typically can be classified into three categories: ground vehicles, aerial vehicles, and marine vehicles. GROUND VEHICLES These robots perform tasks on the ground—whether it’s a Roomba vacuuming your living room floor, a Mars Rover exploring the rocky surface of the Red Planet, or a farm robot planting crops in a field.

DID YOU KNOW? The word “robot” comes from the Czech word robota , which means “forced work.”

16 COOL CAREERS IN SCIENCE: ROBOTICS DEVELOPERS