Robotics

Robotics is an engineering discipline that brings together mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and artificial intelligence to design, build, and programme machines that can perform tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously. The field spans from industrial robots on production lines and surgical robots in operating theatres to autonomous vehicles, drones, agricultural robots, and consumer devices. As artificial intelligence advances and the cost of sensing and actuation falls, the range of applications in which robotics is viable is expanding rapidly, making this one of the most dynamic and consequential areas of modern engineering.

At the University of the West of England, Bristol, this three-year programme develops the engineering skills needed to design and build robotic systems across a growing range of applications. You will study the mechanical, electronic, and computational dimensions of robotics, developing competence in programming, control systems, sensors and actuators, machine learning, and the integration of hardware and software that robotics demands. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and embedded work placement opportunities, giving you direct professional experience in a robotics, automation, or engineering technology context.

Robotics graduates are in high demand across the aerospace, defence, automotive, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, and manufacturing sectors. The convergence of robotics with artificial intelligence is creating new roles and new companies at pace, and graduates who understand the engineering fundamentals of robotics as well as the computational intelligence that drives modern systems are particularly well placed. Many graduates go on to roles in autonomous systems, industrial automation, robotic surgery, drone technology, and research and development.

Further study at master's or doctoral level is a common path for those interested in advanced research or specialist technical roles at the frontier of the field.