[Answer] How to Explain the Automation Major to Others?

[Answer] How to Explain the Automation Major to Others?

Automation is best introduced in a way that fits the specific situation. There are several angles you can use.

One way to explain automation is to say that it is about robotics, ranging from artificial intelligence to industrial robots used in factories. This is admittedly a bit of an oversimplification, but it is simple and direct. No major can really be fully explained to outsiders in just a few sentences, so the best approach is often to highlight its most distinctive features.

A more academic explanation is that automation sits somewhere between computer science and electronics, combining the characteristics of both software and hardware. Compared with computer science, it involves more hardware; compared with electronics, it involves more software.

A broader summary would be that anything aimed at reducing human labor can fall within the scope of automation, which is why it connects with all kinds of industries.

Another way to trace it back to its roots is to say that automation is supported by control theory and uses information technology to improve efficiency in many different fields.

That is roughly how I usually give a simple introduction to the major from a few different perspectives.