College Partners with RPI to Offer a New Robotics Course

August 4, 2023

Hudson Valley Community College is partnering with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to offer a unique four-credit course, Introduction to Robotics, to begin during the fall semester. The hands-on course (CISS 180) will be co-taught by professors from both institutions and introduce students to the multi-disciplinary field of robotics, using state-of-the-art industrial robots from FANUC and Universal Robots.

Students will learn the history and development of robots and the basics of robotic programming in the new Robotics course. They will also gain hands-on skills, train and program an industry-standard robotic arm to perform simple to complex tasks, collaborate on projects designed to test and enhance their robotics’ control and programming skills, and work interactively and in teams. No prior experience or prerequisite courses are required to take the course.

On Wednesday, August 2, college leaders from both institutions came together in Hudson Valley’s Robotics Lab in the Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills to showcase the robots and highlight the new collaborative course. Students from HVCC’s Questar III STEM High School had the opportunity to get a first look at the robots and test some of their skills.

“We are so proud to partner with RPI and offer a Robotics course that will allow our students to embrace the technologies of the future and advance their learning,” said Hudson Valley President Roger Ramsammy. “Giving both our high school and college students this opportunity allows young, brilliant minds to gain hands-on skills very early in their college career, and our instructors are excited to have the latest technologies and resources to teach skills required in the industry.”

Hudson Valley Department Chair for Computer Science and Mathematics Dr. Linda Lim added, “We have partnered with RPI for many years, and it is exciting to see us collaborating to bring a new course with state-of-the-art technology to our students.”

Hudson Valley and RPI recently updated a longstanding transfer articulation agreement that allows Hudson Valley Engineering Science A.S. graduates to seamlessly transfer and complete a B.S. degree at RPI, in their chosen engineering path.

“This is a terrific collaboration, and I remain most impressed by the state-of-the-art facility at Hudson Valley,” said Dr. John Wen, Head, Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering Department at RPI. “We have worked closely with the college many times before, and we are so excited to build on our existing partnership to give all of our students the opportunity to work with robots, gain hands-on skills and confidence and express creativity.”

For enrollment information, visit the Registering for a Course webpage or contact Dr. Linda Lim, Computer Science and Mathematics Department Chair at (518) 629-7358 or CSM@hvcc.edu.