What Robotics Taught Me About Engineering
Before joining robotics, I thought engineering was mostly about creating designs. After five years in FIRST Robotics, I have learned that engineering is much more about iteration.
A design rarely works perfectly the first time.
Engineers:
build test fail analyze improve
During robotics, I gained experience with electrical systems, wiring, soldering, troubleshooting, and teamwork.
One thing I especially enjoyed was seeing how different engineering decisions affected the final robot. A small change in wiring organization, component placement, or design could influence reliability.
This mindset is one reason I became interested in materials science.
Materials science follows a similar process:
Ask a question.
Test an idea.
Analyze results.
Improve the design.
Engineering is not about immediately knowing the answer.
It is about being curious enough to find it.