Johns Hopkins launches master’s degree in robotics

The demand for roboticists is growing, and universities are starting to take notice. Johns Hopkins University, for one, says it sees an increasing need from industry for people who can design and deploy advanced robotics systems.

In response the school has launched a Master of Science in Engineering in Robotics degree program.

The program is based in the Whiting School of Engineering’s Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics and is designed for students from a variety of engineering, scientific and mathematical backgrounds.

“The demand for engineers who have the kind of multi-disciplinary knowledge and training needed to design and develop robotics systems is spiraling, and is expected to continue growing,” Noah Cowan, deputy director for Johns Hopkins’ robotics academic programs, said in a statement. “We’re responding to that need.”

The school uses an interdisciplinary approach that brings together researchers from engineering, arts and sciences, applied physics, and medicine. Students can specialize in medical robotics and computer integrated surgical systems; perception and cognitive systems; and automation science and engineering. They are also free to customize a program based on their own particular interests.

A list of faculty and their accomplishments, provided by Johns Hopkins, is available below:

  • Greg Chirikjian, professor of mechanical engineering, who is at the forefront of robot system modeling, having written several books in the field;
  • Noah Cowan, associate professor of mechanical engineering, whose research examines sensing, dynamics and control in robots and animals;
  • Ralph Etienne-Cummings, professor of electrical engineering, who is a pioneer in neuromorphic engineering and bio-robotics;
  • Gregory Hager, chair of the Department of Computer Science, who is on the forefront of research involving robot-human collaborative systems;
  • Marin Kobilarov, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, who is is advancing the field of autonomous robotic systems;
  • Nassir Navab, professor of computer science, who is a renowned expert in medical imaging and computer aided interventions;
  • Russell Taylor, the John C. Malone Professor of Computer Science and director of the LCSR, who is one of the pioneers of the field of medical robotics; and
  • Louis Whitcomb, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who made headlines recently when he and his students and collaborators deployed a robotic vehicle to explore the deepest place on earth, the Mariana Trench.

[ photos by Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University ]