Coding Language every Robotics Engineer Must Know

Robots are the future of the world aren’t they? And as kids, who weren’t fascinated by them or the idea of them! Well what if you decide to take this passion higher? Why just dream about it, when you could actually build one! Robotics is a field that takes immense focus and fortitude, however, with determination and passion, one could easily excel in this field! Robots are a creation that comes about from the amalgamation of many fields like physics, mechanical and structural engineering, and computing to bring about the design, build and programs that are required for its functioning.

To all the aspiring engineers and robot enthusiasts out there, here are some essential coding languages you must know in order to make your dream robotics projects functional and successful! Below we have listed 8 essential languages ranging from the easiest for beginners and to the most complex so that every reader can progressively build their coding skills!

• Scratch

This coding language is perfect for beginners and children who are discovering the world of coding in robotics. It is preferably targeted for programmers from the age of 8–16 and is often used in schools and institutes to develop programming awareness and knowledge in kids. Programmers using this language are called Scratchers and they can create projects on the web using block-like interfaces.

• PASCAL

Outdated for the current trends in robotics, this program has given rise to a lot of industrial robotics programming languages. It is based on a language called BASIC, and even if it is outdated, learning this language is a pretty easy and handy way for beginners to become familiar with industrial programming languages.

• Lisp

Lisp is the second oldest programming language in the world (FORTRAN being the first). Essential sections of robot operating systems are still coded in this language as it plays a vital role in the implementation of artificial intelligence. Lisp also has features like automatic storage management, dynamic typing, conditionals, self hosting compiler and more that make it a valuable learn for an interested beginner.

• MATLAB

A popular high performance language of choice for robotic engineers for technical computation, analyzing of data and in developing control systems. MATLAB also provides an easy platform for modelling and running simulations that is capable of identifying errors in the prototype phase.

• Microsoft C#/.NET

A proprietary of Microsoft, this coding language is largely used by the Microsoft Robotics Developer Studios. It is predominantly used as the basis for virtual reality engines. It is a complex language which can be better learnt with some previous background in C++. Considered as a must learn programming language for aspiring engineers in the field of programming as it gives a solid foundation to branch out to various fields that are intertwined with coding.

• Java

Here is a programming language that every robotics contender should know or would have learnt! This language contains a lot of high level features that are essential in robotics programming. It is an interpretive language, meaning the instructions are interpreted at the runtime by Java Virtual Machine. This is a fast and reliable language that ensures that robots can perform tasks accurately.

• Python

One of the top coding languages in the world currently, Python is one of the two main programming languages in Robot Operating Systems (other being C++). Being an interpretive language like Java, it can be complicated to work on massive projects in this language due to its inability to spot errors, however it allows simple bindings with C++ therefore enabling the coding of performance heavy tasks without losing its performing capacity.

• C/C++

Out of all the languages in the field of robotics programming, every engineer who wants to ensure the peak functioning of their robots use this language. Beginners who are serious about pursuing careers in the field of robotics must aspire to learn this language as it is the crux of robotic programming as they allow easy interaction with low level hardware. C++ is faster and more efficient when compared to C. However, when limited in memory capacity, C is preferred.

Now that you know the top programming languages every aspiring robotics engineer must know, it’s time to get cracking and start coding for a promising career in robotics and to ensure the sleek and proper functioning of your very own bot! Rancho Labs provides courses for beginners in the field of robotics with mentors who can help pave your way to the field of robotics. What are you waiting for? Begin your Robotics journey right away with Rancho Labs!!