Mechanical vs. Software Engineering.

[Collmandoman]

in robotics the sky is the limit.. as new technologies are developed in either of these 2 fields it allows for growth in the other

[scali]

They are both equally important, and they will always be equally important. Software is nothing without properly working hardware (Try running Doom 3 with a fried videocard, I dare ya). But likewise, hardware is nothing without software (Try running a computer without an OS. Useful, no?).

I think i've made my point...

UNLESS that machine needs no logic (Like Van De Graff Generators, WimHurst Generators, Tesla Coils, etc).

[NoodleKnight]

It depends on the situation, but somewhere down the line, software will always (in a way) depend on hardware (you need some type of machine to allow you to create software in the first place), while hardware will not always be dependant on software. I'm a student.

[probizzle]

Software engineering is nowhere if you can't make the software do anything.

But, to answer your question, first let me say they are two sides to a coin.
Second, i think the possibilities sofware side are increasing. We now have the ability to make our software do exciting things (like high schoolers with the help of mentors making a robot cap a tetra with a green band). And we have the ability to get electronics (ie sensors) at affordable prices and so on so we CAN do fabulous things with programming.
These things combined add the possibility of giving machines a lot more autonomy than they currently have. And I think this will be an increasing trend in the future, finding more and more machines with more and more autonomy. More autonomy = more programming.