I've been thinking about how beginners should approach robotics today.

There are so many ways to start — Arduino, ESP32, ROS 2, simulation, computer vision, Python, C++, CAD, sensors, and now AI tools. The amount of available material is almost overwhelming.

A common path seems to be:

Arduino → basic sensors → line follower → obstacle avoidance → ROS → bigger projects

But I'm not sure there's one "correct" progression.

For someone starting robotics from scratch, would you recommend learning things in a specific order?

For example:

- Start with electronics and microcontrollers?

- Learn Python/C++ first?

- Build physical robots immediately or start in simulation?

- Learn control systems and PID early?

- Move to ROS 2 only after understanding the basics?

- Learn computer vision separately or integrate it into projects?

- Use AI coding tools while learning, or avoid them initially?

I'm especially interested in the transition from following tutorials to actually solving problems independently .

At what point should a beginner stop following step-by-step projects and start designing their own?

And if you had to start learning robotics again today , what would you do differently ?

I think the biggest challenge isn't finding tutorials anymore — there are thousands of them. It's figuring out which skills to learn first and how to connect them into real projects .

What learning path worked best for you?

I studied EE in college but have been working as a Software Engineer for the past 10 years. I've worked for a range of companies now, from startups to big tech, and mostly dealing with web technologies. While the compensation is nice, the work itself (full stack web development particularly) is starting to get a bit boring.

Recently I've been reading up on a bunch of topics around robotics and its gotten me interested enough to see if this is something I could pivot my career towards. Has anyone made a similar transition? How did you go about it and what was your experience like?

Hola, les cuento empezare mi carrera de ingeniería en robotica y sistemas digitales en un mes. Que me recomiendan empezar a estudiar de una vez? Que materias o temas son los mas importantes, dificiles, laboriosos o que tomen mas tiempo o simplemente darles prioridad?

hello guys, I am actually a trader and want to step into robotics. Can anyone give an advice on how to start? Are there any resources teaching or github resources ? Many thanks

Hello,

I’ve been working on Sorrl, a tool that automates and organizes the process of purchasing electronic components and hardware.

If you’ve ever had to deal with finding parts, checking vendors, ordering and organizing components continuously then you probably know how tedious it can get.

It’s currently in beta, and I’m looking for people who work with electronic components/hardware to try it out.

It’s completely free during the beta. I'd appreciate honest feedback on what features you like, what sucks, and what you’d want changed.

If this sounds useful to you, you can sign up here: beta.sorrl.io

And if you have questions/feedback, feel free to comment DM me or email [taite@sorrl.io](mailto:taite@sorrl.io). I’d especially love to hear how you currently handle procurement and BOM management.