MSc Robotics

The MSc Robotics at Heriot-Watt will provide the students with training in core elements of modern robotics and autonomous systems. This one year postgraduate masters degree in Robotics will equip students to work in industry in areas where robots can be used to improve productivity, transform transportation, work in extreme environments and improve the quality of life.

The students on the MSc Robotics will:

• be introduced to core robotics techniques, from basic kinematics to robot control, robot navigation, robot planning and human-robot interactions
• receive an extensive training in robot programming (especially ROS) and practical implementation of solutions on real robots
• apply skills in various applications through major robotics projects, relevant to research and industry, and involving systems such as autonomous robots (cars, subsea vehicles), humanoid robots, advanced manipulators for compliant control and novel robot designs
• obtain access to staff from leading research groups to mentor their development and guide their research projects

Within this programme, students will be offered a degree of flexibility in the options that they study, allowing them to specialise in specific domains of application.

Why study Robotics?

Robotics and AI are seen as key technologies for the future and the subject of massive commercial investment.

There is a rapidly growing worldwide demand for graduates with the technical skills and industry awareness to create an innovation pipeline from academic research to global markets in the field of robotics. Key application areas include manufacturing, assistive and medical robots, offshore energy, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, defence, and support for the aging population.

Apple, Google, Uber, Amazon and Facebook all have major ongoing research programs in robotics. In the UK, Dyson, 5AI and a plethora of SMEs and start-ups are trying to grasp the huge market opportunity that is foreseen. Predictions of the worldwide economic impact of Robotics and Autonomous Systems range from US$1.7 trillion to US$4.5 trillion by 2025.

Heriot Watt - Robotics - Teaser

Course content

DETAILED COURSE GUIDE

Semester 1

Mandatory courses

• Robotics Systems Science
• Intelligent Robotics

Optional courses

• Embedded Systems
• Sensors, Actuators and IoT
• Biologically Inspired Computation
• Data Mining and Machine Learning
• Human Robot Interaction

Semester 2

Mandatory courses

• Multi-Disciplinary Group Project
• Robotic Mechanical Systems

Optional courses

• Embedded Software
• Critical Analysis and Research Preparation
• Conversational Agents and Spoken Language Processing
• Research Methods and Project Plan

Semester 3

• MSc Project

The contact hours for the taught part of the MSc are in the region of 16 to 20 hours per week with a similar amount of additional self-study and research required.