Robotics is revolutionizing industries, from healthcare and automation to space exploration and AI-powered humanoids. This roadmap will guide you from the basics to advanced robotics, covering essential topics like embedded systems, control theory, AI integration, and robot design.
This structured roadmap will take you through AI-Driven Robotics, Embedded Systems & Electronics, Mechanics & Kinematics, Robotics Programming, Control Theory & Actuators, Robot Perception & Sensors, Path Planning & Navigation, Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Cloud Robotics & Edge AI, Robotics Security & Ethical AI, Industry-Specific Robotics Applications
- Phase 0 - AI Concepts for Robotics
- Phase 1 - Programming for Robotics
- Phase 2 - Mathematics for Robotics
- Phase 3 - Robotics Hardware & Embedded Systems
- Phase 4 - Robot Operating System (ROS)
- Phase 5 - Perception & Computer Vision
- Phase 6 - Motion Planning & Navigation
- Phase 7 - Advanced AI & Reinforcement Learning for Robotics
- Phase 8 - Cloud Robotics & Edge Computing
- Phase 9 - Cybersecurity in Robotics
- Phase 10 - Building a Full-Scale Humanoid Robot
This structured roadmap is designed to be completed within 12-18 months, depending on your learning pace, project involvement, and hands-on practice. Each phase provides a balanced mix of theory, practical applications, and real-world robotics case studies, ensuring you gain industry-ready skills.
AI is the brain of modern robotics, enabling robots to perceive, learn, and make intelligent decisions. This phase introduces you to the core AI technologies driving robotics, including machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning.
You will explore how AI models like LLMs, RL models, and CNNs power robotics applications in industries such as automation, healthcare, and manufacturing.
This repository provides a structured AI learning path, covering what to learn and how long each topic takes to master.
Programming is the foundation of robotics, allowing you to control, automate, and bring robots to life. This phase focuses on mastering essential programming languages like Python, C++, and MATLAB, which are widely used in robotics. You'll gain hands-on experience in writing scripts, working with robotic simulation environments, and implementing basic control algorithms.
- Python for Beginners - Harvard CS50
- C++ for Robotics - Udacity
- ROS Programming - The Construct
- MATLAB for Robotics - Coursera
- Write a simple "Hello Robot" program.
- Control a simulated robotic arm using Python.
Python-based robotic process automation (RPA).
Mathematics is the backbone of robotics, providing the foundation for movement, control, perception, and AI decision-making. In this phase, you will explore essential topics like linear algebra, calculus, probability, and control theory, all crucial for robotic system design.
You'll also apply these concepts to real-world scenarios like autonomous vehicles and robotic arms.
- MIT Linear Algebra Course
- Control Systems Engineering - NPTEL
- Probability & Statistics for Robotics - Coursera
- Implement a PID controller for a simulated robot.
- Build a Python-based kinematics solver.
How Tesla’s autopilot system uses control theory.
This phase covers the physical components of robots, including microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, and PCB design. Understanding hardware is essential for building and integrating robotic systems, from simple robotic arms to complex autonomous robots.
Topics Covered: Microcontrollers (Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi), PCB Design & Circuit Prototyping, Sensors & Actuators, Motor Control Systems
- Arduino Programming - SparkFun
- ESP32 & Raspberry Pi for Robotics - Udemy
- PCB Design with KiCad - YouTube
- Build a basic robotic arm with servo motors.
- Design a motor control system for a robot.
- Raspberry Pi 4
- Arduino Mega
- Jetson Nano
Robot Operating System (ROS) is a crucial framework for developing, simulating, and controlling robotic systems. This phase focuses on ROS fundamentals, robotic simulation with Gazebo, and implementing real-world robot control.
- ROS Basics - The Construct
- ROS for Beginners - Udemy
- Gazebo Simulation - ROS Wiki
- Simulate a mobile robot in Gazebo.
- Create a basic robotic arm control with ROS.
Robots rely on vision and perception to understand their environment. This phase covers object detection, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), and 3D mapping, enabling robots to navigate and interact with the world.
Topics Covered: Object Detection & Recognition, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), 3D Mapping & Depth Perception
- OpenCV for Robotics - Udacity
- SLAM for Beginners - Coursera
- Implement an object-tracking system for a robot.
- Develop a visual SLAM system for navigation.
Motion planning is crucial for robots to move efficiently and avoid obstacles. This phase explores path planning algorithms, localization techniques, and obstacle avoidance strategies used in self-driving cars and mobile robots.
Topics Covered: Path Planning Algorithms (A, RRT, Dijkstra's Algorithm)*, Obstacle Avoidance & Reactive Navigation, Localization & Mapping
- Motion Planning - MIT OpenCourseWare
- Autonomous Navigation - Udacity
- Develop an obstacle avoidance system using LiDAR.
- Implement A and RRT path planning algorithms*.
This phase focuses on cutting-edge AI techniques that enable robots to learn from interactions and improve their performance through reinforcement learning and deep learning.
📌 Topics Covered: Deep Reinforcement Learning (DQN, PPO, SAC), Imitation Learning for Robotics, Neural Network Architectures for Robotics
- Deep Reinforcement Learning - Coursera
- AI for Robotics - Udacity
- Train an AI-powered robotic hand.
- Develop an autonomous driving AI.
Cloud computing and edge AI are transforming robotics by enabling real-time processing and remote control of robotic systems. Learn how robots leverage cloud platforms and edge devices like Jetson Nano for real-time AI decision-making.
Topics Covered: 5G Robotics & Remote Control Systems, IoT & Cloud Computing for Robotics, Edge AI & Real-Time Processing
- Cloud Robotics & Edge AI - Google Cloud
- IoT for Robotics - Coursera
- Edge AI with Jetson Nano - NVIDIA
- Deploy a robot control system on the cloud.
- Implement real-time AI decision-making using Edge AI.
- Case Study: How warehouse robots use cloud-based AI.
As robots become more autonomous and connected, cybersecurity is vital. This phase explores secure robot communication, AI ethics, and countermeasures against cyber threats in robotic systems.
Topics Covered: Secure Robot Communication Protocols, AI Ethics & Bias in Robotics, Cyber Threats & Security Measures in Robotics
- Cybersecurity for Robotics - IEEE
- AI & Ethics - MIT
- Secure IoT Communication - Udemy
- Build a secure communication protocol for robotic systems.
- Simulate a cyberattack on a robotic network and develop countermeasures.
- Case Study: How cybersecurity protects self-driving cars.
The ultimate challenge: building a humanoid robot! This phase integrates everything you've learned, from mechanics and AI to HRI (Human-Robot Interaction), to design a full-scale humanoid with intelligent capabilities.
- Humanoid Robotics - MIT
- Advanced Mechatronics - Stanford
- AI-Powered Robotics - Udacity
- Build a humanoid robot capable of basic movements and interactions.
- Implement AI-driven facial recognition for a humanoid assistant.
Case Study: Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot development.
Robotics is transforming industries, from AI-powered automation to humanoid development. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, mastering robotics requires: Hands-on projects, Real-world problem-solving, Continuous learning & research
- FIRST Robotics Competition – A global competition for building advanced robots.
- RoboCup – AI-driven robotics soccer tournament and automation challenge.
- DARPA Robotics Challenge – Pushing the limits of autonomous robots.
- XPRIZE Robotics Competitions – Advancing humanoid and space robotics.
- Hackaday Robotics Challenges – Open-source robotics innovation.
🚀 Start your journey today and shape the future of robotics!