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Create the future

In a rapidly evolving world, robotics engineers will help shape the future by developing solutions to interact with the environment, revolutionizing industrial settings, transporting people, performing delicate surgeries and exploring distant planets. Let's create a new world!

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Robotics  Engineering

Robotics engineering ranks amongst the fastest-growing profession globally according to a recent World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report. In this four-year degree program, you'll explore mechanical systems, computer science and engineering systems to provide you with a strong interdisciplinary foundation. Through the fundamentals of robotics systems, mobile robotics, robotic manipulators and autonomy you'll gain the knowledge and skills to develop your own robotics solutions. 

The culmination of this program is through the development of a yearlong capstone project giving you the experience to be prepared for a career in robotics engineering within the growing industry, government position or academia. 

Experiental Learning

The robotics engineering program offers real-world experience through competition teams, capstone projects and clubs.

Robotics Club VEX competition

Robotics Club

This student-run organization is dedicated to introducing you to a diverse group of students from all majors and utilize their personal skills to help each other grow in knowledge and community centered around robotics.

University Rover Challenge robot

University Rover Challenge

Join the University Rover Challenge team — a multidisciplinary group of students challenged to design the next generation of Mars rovers and compete in the international competition organized by The Mars Society.

Industrial Robotics

Industrial Robotics

The industrial robotics capstone project pairs you with a company to work and solve real world problems using robots and mechatronic devices that they design and implement.

A legacy of champions

WVU has a proud history of triumphs for both students and faculty in the field of robotics. Over the past decade, our robotics teams have consistently achieved recognitions, earning over twenty placement awards. Notably, they have secured nine first-place victories in multiple high-profile national and international robotics competitions.

Get Hired!

With a robotics engineering degree, you'll have a wide net to cast around the world when looking for employment in your field. These are just some of the employers looking to hire robotics engineers.

SpaceX, Tesla, General Electric, General Motors, John Deere, Amazon, Northrup Grumman, Applied Physics Laboratory, Aurora Flight Sciences, Carnegie Robotics, Honeybee Robotics, Agility Robotics, Near Earth Autonomy, L5 Automation

Strategic focus areas

Mobile Robotics

Explore fundamental topics in mobile robotics: methods of locomotion; common mobile robot sensors, state estimation and navigation algorithms; path planning and obstacle avoidance methods; robot decision making and control processes; and mobile robot systems design.

Robotic Manipulators

Learn the fundamentals of robotic manipulators including forward and inverse kinematics, mechanics, modeling, and control; introduction to robot motion planning and industrial manipulator programming; applications of robotic manipulators.

Robot Autonomy

Design and build autonomous robot stacks that include: robot motion planning, decision making, and artificial intelligence-based in robotics perception.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

At WVU, many of our faculty have established research labs that are engaged in cutting-edge research with robotics, including developing a robotic pollination robot, designing planetary rovers and systems, mapping underground mines, servicing satellites and modeling the nervous systems of insects. This program formalizes WVU’s academic offerings in the field of robotics to provide new pathways for you.

Robotics research

Nature of the program

The robotics engineering program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to excel in the engineering design and production of robotics and autonomous systems solutions. The program will prepare you as the next-generation robotics engineers who are:

  • Effective in the engineering design and production of robotics and autonomous systems solutions to alleviate the burden of human workload or create safer work environments.
  • Versed to apply a theoretical foundation of mechanical, electrical and computer engineering systems to integrate and devise robotics solutions.
  • Educated and trained to apply robotics solutions in collaboration with specialists in the field, ensuring a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to addressing challenges in robotic systems.


Coursework

This four-year degree program prepares students for a rewarding career in robotics engineering across well-established sectors such as aerospace, defense, transportation, healthcare and agriculture. Additional career opportunities are available within the rapidly growing number of robotics technology start ups, government research positions in robotics, and academia.

View plan of study


Robotic success

Stephen Jacobs
Flight Controller at SpaceX

Prospective students also have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Stephen Jacobs, a recent mechanical and aerospace engineering alumnus, WVU University Rover Challenge team captain and former Interactive Robotics Laboratory graduate researcher who was recruited by SpaceX, for the SpaceX Starship Project.

Jacob's experience at URC

The Future Will Be Built By Those Who Are Willing To Go After It.

Let's Go!

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Questions?

For more information about the robotics program email Statler-MAE@mail.wvu.edu.