MSc Robotics

The MSc Robotics is situated at the intersection of mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence. Engineers who graduate in this domain will be able to guide the industry in strengthening and accelerating robotisation.

The technology industry is changing rapidly. Robotization and digitisation are no longer vistas but an everyday reality. Previous developments in electronics have led to mechatronics. Nowadays, mechatronics is indispensable in mechanical engineering.

At this moment, rapid advances in artificial intelligence lead to the emergence of a new discipline: that of cognitive robotics, in which an artificial ‘brain’ is integrated with the mechanical ‘body’ of a robot. Robotics – if well designed and integrated into society – has the potential to contribute to solutions to the complex challenges in the areas of food supply, transportation, production, energy, and medical care.

What you will learn

Only knowledge of algorithms will not be sufficient: mechanical engineering knowledge is indispensable once movements and forces are involved, and ethics are indispensable to estimate the impact on society. Future society needs Robotics Engineers who understand how algorithms can be applied. These engineers ensure that mechanical systems learn and interact in complex environments; they also can use their knowledge to develop robots for a worthy society.

The MSc Robotics offers students a multidisciplinary education, allowing them to develop innovative and intelligent products and systems that meet today’s challenges. The focus of the programme is on the interaction between human and machine. You will acquire and apply broad knowledge on Robotics on the multidisciplinary intersection of mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence. You will learn how to model, design, and control robotic systems, how to analyse, evaluate, and validate robotic systems in complex environments, and how to relate scientific knowledge to robotic systems, by critically considering their interaction with societal aspects.

The profile of the Robotics Engineer

The Robotics Engineer will supervise the transition towards further robotisation of society. The Robotics Engineer masters a variety of mechanical engineering and computer science disciplines: artificial intelligence, embedded systems, control, human-machine systems, ethics, and security. The Robotics Engineer can solve complex and multi-functional robot problems, is a critical thinker beyond cultural boundaries, has a can-do mentality, and understands privacy, security, and ethical aspects of working with robots in human environments.

MSc Coordinator Master Robotics

Dr. J.F.P. Kooij

Photo credits: András Pálffy