Complex, connected robotic systems are everywhere, becoming increasingly prevalent in industries from arts & entertainment to education, transportation, manufacturing, and energy. Because these systems touch so many different people in so many different contexts, they are natural nuclei for interdisciplinary challenges and opportunities.

Responsible, relevant, and ethical design of robotic systems often involves contributions from all corners of the engineering discipline, but also from fields like psychology and philosophy, to name a few. The robotics concentration provides students with the systems-thinking tools required to fully integrate the apparently disparate topics, fields, and challenges inherent in the design and analysis of robotic systems, preparing them to consider the field of robotics through a lens that considers design decisions at many different scales, from the design of actuators making up a single robot to the analysis of socioeconomic effects of automation on a local economy or business. The required courses for the robotics focus area leverage faculty expertise from across the division, while the Integrative Engineering  core gives students a foundation in systems thinking that will prepare them to approach the field of robotics more holistically than they might in a dedicated robotics major.

see Typical 4-year schedule for the Robotics Focus
Required courses in robotics focus area:
FACULTY ADVISOR FOR STUDENTS IN THE Robotics focus area: Prof Yih-Choung Yu, ECE

Faculty that do research in robotics: Prof Brown (ME), Prof Utter (ME), Prof Yu (ECE)