Re:MOOC on Mobile Robotics using ROS 2 and your own affordab...
by contingencies on Friday November 19, 2021 @07:33PM
(#29284450)
Strongly disagree. Manufacturing is objectively getting cheaper, faster, and more flexible. There are high tech and high precision processes available at small scale on a wider range of materials for less money than there were 10, 20 or 30 years ago. This trend will continue.
Furthermore, if as you suggest the primary design goal of many products should be that of affordability, then you most certainly have to look deeply at the hardware, as software is not typically a contributor to unit costs (excepting weird licensing regimens).
21th century mechanical engineering primarily involves novel manufacturing processes that massively increase design flexibility while making manufacturing extremely expensive.
Most people don't need the state of the art, they need affordability. Meanwhile semiconductors get cheaper every year. There is more opportunity on the software side.
You're also forgetting that it's a MOOC for ROS2, not "the field". If you've ever been at a college you notice that you don't learn "the field" in a single course.