[networkjester]

FWIW

If I were you, I wouldn't waste my time and money on getting a degree. If you've had that much experience in various fields it should be relatively easy to find a way into the robotics industry.

Plus, if you have the money and the time to "validate" yourself by going through the monotony of classes which sound like they would already be well beneath your level, I would say you would be better off by putting that money and time toward your own robotics company.

It sounds like you have more than enough initiative to accomplish the tasks you set out on. Why waste time getting a worthless piece of paper to show your level of worth? Just to work for a company that can't understand the value of someone beyond what they see on paper?

Think up the next wave of robotics you'd like to see in this world. Then do whatever it takes to make it a reality.

Build a company to work for if you can't find one that will hire you from your background alone.

Now. ;)

[robomartin]

Thanks for your kind words. In reality I was somewhat headed in that direction. I started a tech business out of my garage about 12 years ago. Self funded. A manufacturing business. Based out of the US. Tough and capital intensive. After moving out of the garage I grew it to the point of having, under one roof, just about anything you'd need to design and manufacture quite a range of products: EDA tools, lab, prototyping equipment, fully-stocked Haas CNC shop, etc. Then 2008 happened. Long story short, we were not ready for the financial test that the economic downturn brought forth. After twelve long years of hard work the business went under. So, yes, I am basically broke.

The problem with launching a robotics business is that it is very capital intensive. And, if it happens to be about humanoid robotics the potential for revenue is fairly limited. Most real humanoid robotics is still in the research domain. I don't know if I am interested in making toys. Maybe I should consider it. Still, making physical products is capital intensive and there's a very long delay between investment and revenue generation. Unless doing something relatively trivial the runway required is orders of magnitude greater than for, say, an Internet startup.

My guess is that there is no way to get into humanoid robotics research without a degree. Even if one wanted to explore SBIR funding opportunities you need the legitimacy that degrees provide.

I don't know everything. In fact, I am keenly aware of just how much I don't know. However, constant learning is a way of life for an engineer. And that's exactly what I've been doing my whole life. This, for me, seems to be one of those "if you can't beat them, join them" moments.