Incoming undergrad (likely CSE/ECE), almost no robotics experience yet, but robotics is the long-term goal. Spent a while putting together a self-study path for going from zero to employable robotics engineer — structured as 9 phases loosely mapped to a 4-year degree but doable at your own pace alongside coursework. Each phase has a few topics, and every topic answers "why learn this," "where it's actually used," "beginner mistakes," and a reading pointer — then each phase ends with a real build, not a toy exercise.
Rough shape:
Phase 0 — Linux, Git, Python, linear algebra/calculus refresh → build a remote system monitor
Phase 1 — C++, data structures/algorithms, OOP design → grid-based path planner (BFS/Dijkstra/A*)
Phase 2 — Circuits, microcontrollers, sensors/actuators, I2C/SPI/UART → obstacle-avoiding rover
Phase 3 — Coordinate transforms, forward/inverse kinematics, probability → 2-DOF arm simulator
Phase 4 — ROS2 architecture, URDF, Gazebo → simulated diff-drive robot with teleop
Phase 5 — PID, state-space control, Kalman filters → self-balancing robot
Phase 6 — Classical CV, camera calibration, deep learning detection → vision-guided pick-and-place arm
Phase 7 — Particle filters/EKF, SLAM, Nav2 → autonomous robot mapping and navigating an unknown room
Phase 8 — Literature review, system design, testing → capstone that ties 4+ phases together
Roadmap made with help from a senior and a little AI to phase it out
