What Is the Future of Robotics?

From robotic surgery to robotic vacuums, there’s no question that robotics will play an even greater role in everyday life in the future. In fact, one of the exciting things about robotics is just how quickly the field changes from one year to the next. If you choose to enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an Emphasis in Robotics degree program from Grand Canyon University, you’ll learn to apply your innovative thinking and Christian ethics to this dynamic robotics career path.

Transportation

Robots have been steadily making headway in the transportation field. Although personal jetpacks won’t be used for the morning commute any time soon, consumers can already purchase their own affordable drones. Retail giant Amazon has already been steadily working toward automated drone delivery of orders. Additionally, fully autonomous cars are getting closer to becoming a reality, especially now that consumers can already drive personal vehicles with semi-autonomous capabilities. In the future, perhaps some cities will have fully automated railway systems.

Agriculture

Some industries eventually become obsolete due to new technological advances. You might be hard-pressed to find a payphone these days, for example. But one sure constant in life is that people will always need to eat and robotics can help support the global food supply. One trending robotics application in agriculture is the use of geomapping combined with autonomous precision seeding.

Using this advanced technology, farmers can see the soil properties at every section of their fields. A robotic seeding attachment on a tractor can then sow the seeds at exactly the right depth and location to provide for the best possible yield. Moving forward, it’s expected that robotics will have an expanding role in agriculture. Robots can take on such tasks as thinning and pruning, crop micro-spraying, crop harvesting and even herding livestock.

Manufacturing

One emerging trend that’s picking up steam in the manufacturing sector is the use of collaborative robots. Collaborative robotics is the combination of robotic technology with a human counterpart. That is, the robot doesn’t replace the human worker, but instead complements what human workers are able to accomplish. Collaborative robots are making manufacturing plants safer and more efficient. For example, in an automotive manufacturing plant, workers might use a robotic arm to improve production time.

Personal Assistance

Robotic vacuums are already widely available, but they lack personality. In the future, it’s possible that mobile robotic assistants will be used in the home to do chores and serve as companions. There are already humanoid-looking robots that can recognize and respond to human emotions. Other personal robots specialize in entertainment by cracking (pre-programmed) jokes and reading stories to children. In the years ahead, it’s likely that robots will be able to more closely mimic human personality.

Grand Canyon University prepares students to make a difference in the world in whichever career path they choose. One of our many popular degree programs is the Bachelor of Science in Engineering with an Emphasis in Robotics, which is offered by the College of Engineering and Technology (formerly College of Science, Engineering and Technology). To find out if this program could be a good fit for your career aspirations, click on the Request More Information button at the top of the website.