5 Underrated Skills in Robotics
They are usually not on your resume. But they make or break your projects.
When we think about robotics, we think about the “hard” skills:
SLAM, control theory, ROS, CV pipelines, real-time systems…
But after building, debugging, deploying, and sometimes just staring at broken URDFs for hours, you start to realise:
There are other skills that matter just as much. Sometimes more.
Debugging as a Core Skillset:
“The robot isn’t moving.” Now what?
Debugging in robotics isn’t just about reading logs, it’s about:
Navigating between multiple domains (hardware, ROS nodes, TF trees, serial buses)
Diagnosing failure in complex, asynchronous systems
Staying calm when nothing is working
It is a different kind of thinking: systems-level, recursive, patient.
Knowing When Not to Automate:
Just because it’s “autonomous” doesn’t mean it has to be.
Some of the best robotics engineers I know have a superpower:
They know when to write a hardcoded fallback instead of chasing the perfect planner.
They prototype fast. Get data. Iterate with real constraints.
They don’t over-engineer — they engineer just enough.
Functional > Fancy.
Repeatable > Overly clever.
Asking Clear Technical Questions:
Can you explain what’s not working in one paragraph or less?
This one’s subtle, but crucial.
Whether you’re working on a team, stuck in a GitHub issue, searching StackOverflow, or talking to an LLM…
Being able to ask a precise question will save you hours.
Great roboticists:
Share logs, error traces, configs, context
Reduce the problem to a minimal reproducible example
Document what they’ve tried
📌 This is how you attract help, not just ask for it.
Learning by Building, Not Watching:
You don’t learn ROS2 by watching videos. You learn it by breaking things.
The temptation is real:
Another tutorial. Another lecture. Another hour of “just getting ready.”
But in robotics, you only really learn when you build.
Even if it fails.
Even if it’s messy.
Even if it only runs on your machine.
Every time you write a launch file, set up a TF frame, or debug a motor driver, you level up.
💡 Start before you feel ready. You’ll catch up faster than you think.
Emotional Resilience:
Because robots will fail. Often. Loudly. And almost always right before the demo.
This is the one no course teaches you, but it is the one that keeps you in the game.
Good roboticists are not just technically smart.
They are mentally durable.
They:
Embrace bugs as part of the process
Take breaks (not rage-quits)
Stay curious even when nothing works
Progress in robotics isn’t linear. It’s spiky, frustrating, and deeply rewarding.
Resilience is what gets you to the next spike.
Robotics is a multi-disciplinary, high-complexity, low-certainty field.
You don’t just need knowledge, you need tools for thinking and working under uncertainty.
And those tools often look like:
Better questions
Simpler code
Stronger mental models
More patience
Mastering robotics is not just about control loops and sensors.
It is about becoming someone who can build in chaos and smile through it.
Keep building. Keep breaking. Keep learning.
Resources to start building today:
🌟 Open Source Robotics Projects on GitHub
📚 GitHub Repositories to Learn Robotics
🛠️ ROS Resources
🚀 ROS 2 Resources
🎥 YouTube Channels & Playlists to Learn Robotics
🏫 Free University Courses
📖 Books to Learn Robotics
🎮 Robotic Simulators
FREE access here - getintorobotics.com
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