HEU establishes new robotics majors

Harbin Engineering University (HEU), which is strong in scientific research related to shipping, oceans, and nuclear fields, recently received approval from the Education Ministry to establish two new majors.

HEU will be the first institute in China to offer marine robotics courses to undergraduates. Its College of Shipbuilding and Engineering has a national key underwater robotics laboratory, which will be used for the new courses.

The new major is a response to the increasing interest in the development, testing, and production of intelligent components for marine robots. Marine robots are widely used for things like underwater safety inspections, marine engineering, scientific investigations, and for military purposes.

Marine robotics is a new interdisciplinary field consisting of hydrodynamic analysis, control technology, sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and computer simulation. It mainly revolves around basic theories and the technological application of unmanned marine equipment such as intelligent underwater robots, remotely-controlled underwater robots, and boats.

The university has also introduced a robotics engineering major, which is affiliated with the College of Automation. This college has had some major research achievements related to smart service robots, bionic robots, and surface robots.

The new major will focus on teaching students basic robotics theories and cultivating robotics experts.

The underwater robot Zhishui on display at Harbin Engineering University. [Photo/MY399.COM]

An underwater robot is lifted out of sea. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

An underwater robot swims in sea. [Photo/Chinanews.com]