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Unread 18-04-2012, 12:32
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CLOSE THE DEAL
AKA: Jacob
FRC #1717 (DPengineering)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Rookie Year: 2006
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 16
jakey is a jewel in the roughjakey is a jewel in the roughjakey is a jewel in the rough
Re: Help finding a good career

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperNerd256 View Post
Here's something I'm looking into for college:

Engineering -> Mechanical engineering -> Mechatronics

Mechatronics is basically robotics. It's engineering with everything in it. You have mechanical, electrical, software, etc. Though you don't need to do everything, some people do. You get to stay in robotics, and you get the openness of being a mechanical engineer who programs a machine you did the electrical for but never built. Or you can do a little of everything. Once of my friends who graduated from the team last year said she does mechanical engineering, and works on the software, wiring, and building of 1 specific part of the machine, whether it be a mechanism, or a drivetrain.

I actually attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and have a Mechanical Engineering degree with a concentration in Mechatronics. This is one of their degree paths that you can choose to take in their Mechanical Engineering major. After my affiliation with FIRST when I was in high school I knew that robotics is what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed the mechanical design and testing as well as the electrical aspect of robotics. I had no clue about programming but it definitely has grown on me. Mechatronics is definitely a bit of everything that I loved doing when competing in FIRST.

Cheers
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