Before you begin
Starting knowledge
- List existing programming, mechanical, electrical or domain skills.
- Choose one target role before choosing a large hardware purchase.
Equipment & environment
Use publicly shareable simulation and small datasets. Keep confidential employer information out of the portfolio.
No fixed completion time: use the evidence gates below to decide when to advance. Resource links open the botstest directory entry; check its publisher documentation for the exact version and configuration.
Beginner
Choose a role and one tractable project
Translate a job direction into observable technical work.
Learn in this order
- Software, mechatronics, research and operations role boundaries
- Task briefs and evidence of contribution
- Basic robot-system vocabulary
Put it into practice
- Map your existing skills to a small robot task.
- Choose a simulation project with an input, output and measurable completion rule.
A role map and a one-page portfolio project brief.
Ready for the next step when…
Resources for this stage
Establish vocabulary and distinguish robot types before choosing a platform.
Explore research areas and educational material to position a robotics study or learning plan.
Create a small simulated robot and inspect sensor/controller behavior without purchasing hardware.
Intermediate
Build evidence of integration and debugging
Show how you investigate a problem and improve the system.
Learn in this order
- ROS components, recordings and configuration
- Issue logs and controlled comparisons
- Readable setup and test instructions
Put it into practice
- Implement a navigation or manipulation example in simulation.
- Record one failure, its diagnosis and a test that exposes it.
A working project with an issue log and reproducible test.
Ready for the next step when…
Resources for this stage
Follow the official middleware learning path; use documentation matching your installed distribution.
Study navigation components, maps, localization, behavior orchestration and recovery in the matching release.
Explore robot motion planning, planning scenes and manipulation integration in a version-matched example.
Professional
Prepare a professional technical handover
Make the work reviewable by someone who did not build it.
Learn in this order
- Architecture, limitations and ownership
- Performance evidence and uncertainty
- Licenses, attribution and interview communication
Put it into practice
- Ask a peer to run the project from a clean setup.
- Prepare a short technical walkthrough of an engineering trade-off.
A polished project dossier and a role-specific skills gap plan.
Ready for the next step when…
Resources for this stage
Inspect recorded robot signals and build views that expose timing and system failures.
Visualize spatial observations and compare them with model and trajectory outputs.
Study the mechanics, coordinate frames, kinematics and control foundations relevant to the exercise.
Common pitfalls
- Collecting many unfinished tutorial repositories.
- Claiming production or research expertise from a single demonstration.
Where to go next
Use the development and research roadmaps to deepen the weakest skill exposed by your portfolio review.
Explore other learn paths →