Study program "Robotics and autonomous systems" at the University of Lübeck

Designing robotic and autonomous systems requires diverse skills from various engineering disciplines such as electronics, mechatronics, control and signal processing together with state of the art computer science such as software architecture, algorithms and datastructures or artificial intelligence. In order to address current and future technological and societal challenges, a novel consecutive set of bachelor and master study programs in "Robotics and Autonomous Systems" got established at the University of Lübeck in 2016. The program aims to cater to academia's and the industry's increasing demand for highly qualified experts in this emerging intersection of disciplines. In the three registration periods in 2016, 2017, and 2018, the program was exceptionally well-received. The program evolved out of an established computer science major degree in "Robotics and Automation" into a standalone study program by incorporating innovative new courses from important current research fields handled by freshly hired professors with backgrounds in medical support systems, machine learning and mobile swarm robotics. Ethical and societal challenges associated with autonomous systems are addressed by a course building on project-based innovative teaching methods and public engagement. © 2017 IEEE.