5 answers
Elsa
Student
Farmington, Minnesota
1
Question
Updated
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What is it like to work in software/robotics?
What does a work day look like in software/robotics? What tasks do you perform daily? What do you love/hate about it? What is it really like to work in this field?
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5 answers
David Allen
Consultant
84
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
David’s Answer
Working in software and robotics is a highly interdisciplinary and dynamic field that often feels like you are bringing science fiction to life. Your daily work is a mix of traditional software engineering and hands-on interaction with physical hardware. A typical day involves developing and refining complex algorithms—often using languages like C++ or Python and frameworks like ROS—for robot perception (how the robot "sees"), navigation, or control. This is often done in simulation environments before being rigorously tested on physical prototypes. You spend a significant amount of time in meetings collaborating with mechanical and electrical engineers to integrate software with hardware, which requires a deep understanding of the entire robotic system's architecture.
The greatest rewards in this career stem from the constant challenge and the tangible impact of your work: the satisfaction of solving an intricate problem and seeing your code immediately influence a real-world, physical machine. However, this is also where the difficulties lie. Working with physical systems means dealing with noisy sensor data, real-time performance constraints, and the inherent unpredictability of the real world, which can make debugging equal parts frustrating and satisfying. The continuous learning curve required to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies like AI, machine learning, and advanced control systems means the job demands ongoing intellectual energy, but for those who love solving cutting-edge problems, the fulfillment is immense.
The greatest rewards in this career stem from the constant challenge and the tangible impact of your work: the satisfaction of solving an intricate problem and seeing your code immediately influence a real-world, physical machine. However, this is also where the difficulties lie. Working with physical systems means dealing with noisy sensor data, real-time performance constraints, and the inherent unpredictability of the real world, which can make debugging equal parts frustrating and satisfying. The continuous learning curve required to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies like AI, machine learning, and advanced control systems means the job demands ongoing intellectual energy, but for those who love solving cutting-edge problems, the fulfillment is immense.
Akshat Jain
Software Engineer
3
Answers
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Updated
Akshat’s Answer
Working in software is like solving new puzzles every day. These puzzles change depending on the industry or company you're in. In all software fields, you can make a real impact and advance technology. A typical day includes designing solutions, talking with your team, writing and testing software, and then sharing your work for others to use.
You'll join meetings to share updates, tackle coding challenges, solve problems, and discuss long-term goals. Most importantly, you'll keep learning and growing through this process.
Each day can be rewarding if you enjoy solving problems and making a difference. You can also learn a lot from your colleagues and leaders. Since every field is unique, I suggest exploring discussion groups and forums to understand the specific challenges people face in different areas.
You'll join meetings to share updates, tackle coding challenges, solve problems, and discuss long-term goals. Most importantly, you'll keep learning and growing through this process.
Each day can be rewarding if you enjoy solving problems and making a difference. You can also learn a lot from your colleagues and leaders. Since every field is unique, I suggest exploring discussion groups and forums to understand the specific challenges people face in different areas.
Rahul Patil
Software engineer
13
Answers
Raleigh, North Carolina
Updated
Rahul’s Answer
Working in Software/robotics usually feels like a mix of creative problem-solving and hands-on experimentation. some days you are writing code or testing algorithms and other days you are troubleshooting real hardware or reviewing test results with you team. It's a field where you see your ideas turn into something that actually moves or responds - which is incredibly motivating. The pace can be challenging, but the learning never stops and that's what keeps most engineers excited about it.
Craig Whatley
Create software for medical devices
4
Answers
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Updated
Craig’s Answer
A typical work day in software depends somewhat on the organization you work for and the industry they are in. For highly regulated industries, such as US Defense or Medical, there is a lot of paperwork that has to be done for each line of code written. In those industries, I would say 10 - 20% of your time is writing and debugging code, and the rest is supporting documentation and meetings.
For other industries not so highly regulated, you probably are coding a larger percentage of the time. But, in any industry, you are going to have supporting documentation that has to be developed, as well as meetings you have to attend.
For other industries not so highly regulated, you probably are coding a larger percentage of the time. But, in any industry, you are going to have supporting documentation that has to be developed, as well as meetings you have to attend.
Teklemuz Ayenew Tesfay
Electrical Engineer, Software Developer, and Career Mentor
517
Answers
Ethiopia
Updated
Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer
Working in software is all about solving problems and making ideas come alive. Each day starts with checking messages, reviewing tasks, attending a stand-up meeting, and then diving into writing and testing code. You'll fix bugs, review your teammates' work, and collaborate with designers and product managers. If tasks aren't clear, you might explore the codebase, research solutions, try out different approaches, or chat with teammates to get clarity. The day wraps up with pushing code, updating task boards, and getting ready for tomorrow. While there can be long hours and tricky bugs, the work is rewarding and full of opportunities to learn and grow.
In robotics, you get to bring ideas to life both in software and hardware. Your day kicks off with a team meeting to review progress and plan tasks, followed by checking simulations or test results. You'll design, build, code, or test robots, often troubleshooting and refining designs or code. If tasks are unclear, you might look back at past experiments, debug setups, run simulations, or discuss goals with teammates. Testing is ongoing, results are documented, and you might set up long tests for the next day. Watching a robot move is incredibly satisfying because it's the real-world result of your hard work and creativity. Though challenges and failures are part of the process, each step forward is a rewarding achievement.
In robotics, you get to bring ideas to life both in software and hardware. Your day kicks off with a team meeting to review progress and plan tasks, followed by checking simulations or test results. You'll design, build, code, or test robots, often troubleshooting and refining designs or code. If tasks are unclear, you might look back at past experiments, debug setups, run simulations, or discuss goals with teammates. Testing is ongoing, results are documented, and you might set up long tests for the next day. Watching a robot move is incredibly satisfying because it's the real-world result of your hard work and creativity. Though challenges and failures are part of the process, each step forward is a rewarding achievement.