Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.

“Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.” is a core task performed by Robotics Engineers. Among the occupation's 24 rated tasks, workers place it 21st by importance (#4 most important). About 93% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Test performance of equipment or systems. in Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Program computer systems or production equipment. in Working with Computers
• Design electrical or electronic systems or equipment. in Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E0. No direct exposure — current language models give little or no time savings on this task.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.00. Automation potential label: T1.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Review or approve designs, calculations, or cost estimates. · importance 4.1
• Process or interpret signals or sensor data. · importance 4.0
• Debug robotics programs. · importance 3.9
• Create back-ups of robot programs or parameters. · importance 3.9
• Provide technical support for robotic systems. · importance 3.8
• Design end-of-arm tooling. · importance 3.8
• Design robotic systems, such as automatic vehicle control, autonomous vehicles, advanced displays, advanced sensing, robotic platforms, computer vision, or telematics systems. · importance 3.8
• Supervise technologists, technicians, or other engineers. · importance 3.8
• Design software to control robotic systems for applications, such as military defense or manufacturing. · importance 3.8
• Conduct research on robotic technology to create new robotic systems or system capabilities. · importance 3.7
• Investigate mechanical failures or unexpected maintenance problems. · importance 3.7
• Integrate robotics with peripherals, such as welders, controllers, or other equipment. · importance 3.7
• Install, calibrate, operate, or maintain robots. · importance 3.7
• Evaluate robotic systems or prototypes. · importance 3.7

See all tasks on the Robotics Engineers page.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-task-21057,
  title  = {Build, configure, or test robots or robotic applications.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/tasks/task-21057}
}