Concentration in Robotics

Robotics is a rapidly expanding field that combines mechanical design, sensing, actuation, and
computations. Robotic systems are already transforming industries such as healthcare,
manufacturing, and logistics, and have the potential to further improve productivity and quality of
life in many areas of society. As an interdisciplinary field, robotics requires a diverse skill set, making
it an exciting area of study for engineering students.

The Concentration in Robotics builds upon the fundamentals from the undergraduate engineering
curriculum, and offers students the opportunity to focus on a specific subset of robotics. By
pursuing this concentration, students will gain in-depth knowledge and skills in areas such as design,
computation, perception, path planning, and real-time control, preparing them for careers in
industry or research in one of the many areas encompassed by robotics.

The required course in the concentration offers a system-level view of a robotic system, while the
additional classes provide students with a deep-dive into the fundamental building blocks of
robotics. In addition to the required course, the concentration also includes a required experiential
component, where students will apply what they have learned in a practical setting.
The 12-credit concentration is open to all undergraduate engineering students and will be noted on
students’ official transcripts. It is recommended that students interested in pursuing a Concentration
in Robotics declare their concentration as early as possible in their degree program to facilitate
course planning, but in no case later than May 1 of a student’s junior year.

By pursuing a Concentration in Robotics, students will gain a valuable skill set that is highly sought
after in today’s job market, and prepare them to meet the current and future needs of society.

Concentration Requirements:

1. A sequence of three courses (12 credits) consisting of one required course (4 credits) and two additional courses (8 credits) chosen from any of the three lists below. The two additional courses need not be from the same list. 

Required Course (4 credits):

ENG ME 416 – Intro to Robotics – 4 credits (offered both semesters, but recommended that it be taken in junior year). Note that students who take the course in the fall term are ineligible to use Senior Project to satisfy the Experiential Component.

Additional Courses (Choose two courses – 8 credits). Students are expected to obtain the necessary background (prerequisites or equivalents) to complete their concentration courses. Any course required (by name/course number) as part of the major (excluding Technical/Advanced/Electives) cannot be counted toward the three courses (12 cr) required to fulfill the concentration:

ENG ME 403★ – Atmospheric Flight Mechanics and Control
ENG ME 404★ – Dynamics and Control of Mechanical Systems
ENG EC 402★ – Control Systems
ENG BE 404★ – Modern Control in Biomedical Engineering
ENG EC 418 – Reinforcement Learning
ENG EC 444 – Smart and Connected Systems
ENG EC 518 – Robot Learning
ENG EC 520 – Digital Image Processing and Communication
ENG EC 535 – Introduction to Embedded Systems
ENG EC 545 – Cyber-Physical Systems
ENG ME 568 – Soft Robotic Technologies
ENG ME 570 – Robot Motion Planning
ENG ME 571 – Medical Robotics

★Due to the overlap in the material covered in these classes, no more than one can be
counted toward the concentration

2. Experiential Component: Completion of a well-defined experiential component in Robotics. A laboratory research, internship, senior design project or directed study can satisfy this requirement. This requirement must be approved by the Concentration Coordinator and the Experiential Component Proposal Approval form must be submitted to the Undergraduate Records Office. After its completion, a summary report of the experiential component must also be submitted for approval (see “experiential component requirements”, below). Note: The Experiential Component requires completion of ENG ME416 and approval prior to doing the experience.

Resources

• Concentration Summary Instructions
• Declaration
• Experiential Component Proposal
• Experiential Component Summary
• SARA Complaint Process

Contact

Undergraduate Programs & Records Office: 617-353-6447 or engrec@bu.edu
Concentration Coordinator: Prof. Roberto Tron (tron@bu.edu)