Source
r/robotics•
GrahamBot196

How can somebody with a strong mathematics background enter the field of robotics?

Sorry if it seems like a dumb question, but I’m currently a junior studying mathematics and if all goes according to plan, by the time I graduate I will have taken over 20 math courses. I plan on continuing my math education by getting a master’s degree and hopefully someday a PhD. I really like Probability/Statistics, Dynamical Systems, and Differential Geometry—Ergodic Theory seems like a cool field too but that’s way beyond me. I’ve just been taking undergrad math courses in all these.

I have a little bit of programming experience with C++ and Python, and know some Matlab and R.

What kinds of careers in robotics could I enter if it’s possible? I’ve heard topological motion planning is huge.

Are there industry jobs that one could feasibly obtain with a background similar to this? Or would academia be the better route?

Thanks!

Posted Nov 15, 2017, 9:04 PM UTC

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Geminii27•

Motion planning is a big one, as are vision systems. You might also look into smoothing algorithms; they allow cheaper hardware to be less jerky and essentially act like more expensive hardware, which saves money.

Then there are things like emotional interaction algorithms, gesture interpretation, ground topology interpretation, drone flight path planning (including use of currents)...

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banamana27•

I have a bachelors in math and am applying to get a PhD in Robotics, so I can speak specifically to the academics side. I've had a lot of conversations with professors who are doing active research, and specifically asked about how a person with a math background could fit. What I've found out is there are a ton of research areas that require more algorithmic work. The field has a lot of engineers, but not many people who have an understanding of math theory or applications.

One area that needs a ton of applied math is multi-agent systems and swarms. There are great tie ins with chaos theory and dynamical system theories. And there is always a need for someone who understands optimization.

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GrahamBot196OP•

Thanks for your comment! I’m taking a class in Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos next semester (we’re using Strogatz’s book), I’m really looking forward to it. It’s nice to know it pops up in Robotics. I would love to be an applied mathematician in the field some day.

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banamana27•

That was one of my absolute favorite classes, and I've been looking to buy the book again!! I highly recommend keeping that book. It is a perfect tie-in to anything that has multiple agents or a dynamical environment.

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Elspin•

The best place for someone with a very strong background in math is in research fields. I often don't use a lot of math that I know just on the basis that it doesn't make sense to re-do when there's a mountain of libraries that do the work for you. Conversely on some R&D projects I ended up digging through way more papers, theory, and linear algebra than I expected to in a lifetime in this field.

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