As the global robotics market moves toward a projected $146 billion by 2030, Savannah College of Art and Design is launching a new bachelor’s degree that places design, creativity and human experience at the center of robotics education.
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The Next Generation Of Robotics Requires More Than Engineers
Robotics is entering a new phase.
For decades, much of the industry’s progress was driven by advances in hardware, automation and artificial intelligence. Engineers focused on making robots more capable, faster and increasingly autonomous, while businesses concentrated on improving efficiency across manufacturing and industrial operations.
Today, the conversation is expanding.
As robotics moves into healthcare, retail, logistics, entertainment and everyday consumer experiences, organizations are beginning to recognize that technical performance alone is no longer enough. The success of future robotic systems will increasingly depend on how people interact with them, understand them and ultimately trust them.
This shift is creating demand for professionals capable of combining engineering, artificial intelligence and human-centered design.
Recognizing that opportunity, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has announced the launch of a Bachelor of Design in Robotics, beginning in the 2026–27 academic year across its Savannah and Atlanta campuses. According to the university, the program is designed to prepare students for careers where technology and human experience evolve together.
A Different Vision For Robotics Education
Unlike traditional robotics programs that primarily emphasize engineering and technical development, SCAD is positioning design as a core component of intelligent automation.
The university describes the program as human-centered robotics education, an approach that places the people who use, interact with and are affected by robotic technologies at the center of the design process. Rather than asking only how robots can perform tasks more efficiently, the curriculum encourages students to consider how these systems communicate, behave and integrate naturally into human environments.
Nye Warburton, dean of SCAD’s School of Creative Technology, said the new degree expands the university’s curriculum to meet growing industry demand for professionals capable of bridging advanced technology and human experience. According to Warburton, the program is intended to prepare students to help redefine automation across global markets while reinforcing SCAD’s focus on career-oriented education.
Responding To A Rapidly Growing Market
The launch comes as demand for robotics talent continues to expand across multiple industries.
According to the university, the global robotics market is projected to reach $146 billion by 2030, creating new opportunities in sectors including healthcare, logistics, retail and entertainment. As robotic technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday life, employers are expected to seek professionals capable of balancing technical innovation with usability, accessibility and user experience.
Rather than treating design as the final stage of product development, SCAD is positioning it as a strategic discipline that influences how intelligent systems are conceived from the very beginning.
Built Alongside Industry Leaders
One of the program’s most distinctive features is its development in collaboration with leading technology companies.
SCAD states that the robotics curriculum was developed with contributions from Google, Meta, Amazon and NVIDIA, combining expertise from the university’s design disciplines with insights from organizations helping shape the future of intelligent technologies.
This close relationship between academia and industry reflects a broader trend in higher education, where universities increasingly collaborate with technology companies to ensure graduates develop skills aligned with rapidly evolving market demands.
Preparing Students For Emerging Careers
The new degree is designed to prepare students for a wide range of careers that combine robotics, artificial intelligence and design.
Among the roles highlighted by SCAD are:
- Robotics Interaction Designer
- Human-Robot Interaction Specialist
- Robotics UX Designer
- Robotics Product Designer
- Robotics Industrial Designer
- AI Interaction Designer
- Robot Interface Designer
- Robotics UX Researcher
- Behavior and Motion Designer
- Animatronics and Character Designer
Together, these roles illustrate how robotics is expanding beyond traditional engineering into disciplines centered on human interaction, digital experiences and intelligent product design.
Why It Matters
The launch of SCAD’s Bachelor of Design in Robotics reflects more than the introduction of a new academic program.
It highlights a broader transformation taking place across technology industries, where innovation increasingly depends on combining engineering, artificial intelligence and design into a single multidisciplinary process.
As robots move beyond factories and into hospitals, retail stores, entertainment venues and everyday environments, the professionals shaping these systems will need to understand not only how machines function, but also how people experience them.
SCAD’s new program suggests that the future of robotics may be defined as much by human-centered design as by advances in automation itself.
Key Takeaways
- SCAD will launch a Bachelor of Design in Robotics during the 2026–27 academic year in Savannah and Atlanta.
- The program emphasizes human-centered robotics, combining design, creativity and technology.
- SCAD collaborated with Google, Meta, Amazon and NVIDIA while developing the curriculum.
- The global robotics market is projected to reach $146 billion by 2030, increasing demand for multidisciplinary robotics professionals.
Next In This Series
Why does the future of robotics need designers—not just engineers?
In the next article, we’ll examine how human-centered robotics is emerging as one of the most important ideas shaping the next generation of intelligent machines.
