Move over Computers, the Next Big Thing is Here – Robotics

Are you a fan of sci-fi movies? Have movies such as I, Robot, The Stepford Wives, Transformers, The Terminator, Matrix or Universal Soldier caught your fancy? Well, movies are fictional but they tend to develop curiosity in young minds. Look around, and you will see how a small object like a pen or a fancy object like a mobile phone has changed our lives. A decade ago, the idea of a robot doing all our household chores was dismissed as a mere fantasy. But not anymore! Robotics is turning out to be a highly relevant discipline and it will not be long before humans start interacting with robots on a daily basis, be it in our homes, workplaces, or even public spaces.

In India, robotics is an emerging field of study with schools slowly inching towards making robotics a part of their curriculum. Studies have revealed that textbooks and other conventional methods of teaching are no longer sufficient to fill the gap between what students know and what they ought to know. For the holistic development of a child, schools are shifting from the traditional methods of teaching to newer trends. That’s where robotics comes into play. In robotics, knowledge is never ‘given’ and ‘fixed’, but evolves with every nut and bolt that a student tightens to make his/her robot.

Robotics helps students use their analytical skills and enhances their creative liberty. Students are given the freedom to approach any problem in multiple ways and make effective decisions. This boosts their self-confidence and gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Apart from focusing on development and application of core life skills, robotics looks into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning, which helps solve real-life problems. robotics allows students to put their theories to practice while having lots of fun. Imagine students learning about laws of reflection and while the theory is fresh in their minds, they make and program a robot that follows a line using the concept of reflection.

A lot of schools and colleges are expressing interest in participating in national and international level robot- centered competitions such as FIRST LEGO League, BotBall, FIRA and Robocup. Students are keen to participate in such contests, where they can develop interpersonal skills, brainstorm, work in a team, think critically and make decisions. They begin with a problem statement, work on the design of the robot, use logic, program the robot and finally test it. In this process, students also learn to develop their life skills like self-confidence, collaboration skills, critical thinking and decision making which at times get ignored in traditional teaching methodologies.

Several start-ups are doing their bit to pull students towards robotics. They are tying up with various institutions, and are conducting workshops and training students by offering robotic training kits, products and certification. If an institution plans to include robotics in the syllabus, these start-ups provide them with necessary kits, training and support services for easy learning. These kits contain hardware components to build robots as well as software components that enable students to program them.

Exposing students to robotics in the classroom is making students explore career paths that they may have never considered before. The collaborative initiatives by the start-ups and institutions are not just drawing the attention of students but also enticing them to consider robotics as a career option. Today, robots are gaining popularity in electrical and electronics, automotive, industrial manufacturing, medical and pharmaceutical industries. There are umpteen opportunities in the field of design, industrial robotics and applied embedded systems. The other promising industries are defence, aviation and education. In fact, India has cemented its position in the top 10 countries that use robots in industrial manufacturing, with Japan, USA and Korea topping the list. In our country, apart from manufacturing, robots are expected to play a big role in education and entertainment.

The robotics market is poised for huge growth. Institutions such as the IITs, NITs, and IIITs have taken robotics as a core research area and have developed teams with professors and students tackling challenging problems in the domain. Some of the universities are integrating robotics with science, technology, engineering and maths to keep their students updated with the latest technology. From a skill-set point of view, robotics will also help develop 21st century skills among students. It will help students to be thinkers, innovators, problem solvers, decision makers, collaborators. Such skills will be very much needed for the future jobs. Thus, students should be exposed to a discipline that will aid in developing these skill sets.

Robotics is expected to grow multifold and is all set to ring in a paradigm shift in the way we live. The pace of disruptive technological innovation has gone from linear to parabolic in the recent years. Penetration of robots has begun in a big way and is expected to create 5.1 Million jobs by 2020. The global market for robots is expected to reach $152.7 bn by 2020 and it is set to improve productivity in over 30% of the industries.
Effectively, the students who are studying robotics today will be the one’s who shape our world tomorrow. For students, this means they have to continuously update themselves to keep it up with ever changing technology. Hence, it becomes integral for institutions to prepare their students for this information overload and develop technologies that help students cope with a competitive tomorrow. We need to prepare them for the future, for the jobs that will exist in years to come and for the rapid technological advancement that robotics can play in this endeavour.

Mr. Beas Dev Ralhan, CEO & Co-founder, Next Education India Pvt Ltd