TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In JTED’s robotics lab, Carlos Trujillo played around with a new robotic arm. It’s students like him who are getting real-world experience with the newly added Fanuc robotic arm, the kind that is often used in manufacturing and automation.
“The more advanced robotics gets, the more advanced humanity gets,” said Trujillo.
Trujillo is learning how to program, operate, and repair robotic arms, skills he said are going to help him in the robotics industry when he gets older.
“You can do that with a conveyer belt, but a robotic arm is much simpler due to its ability to communicate with sensors, other machines,” he said.
In the future he wants to become a robotics engineer focused on developing advanced prosthetics. He said he wants to help people gain back the ability to do things before they lost their limb.
“As technology gets more advanced, prosthetics can help people simply just get their life back,” Trujillo said.
Students can earn up to six industry certifications and receive college credit through Pima Community College and the University of Arizona.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary in Arizona’s robotics industry is more than $89 thousand annually.
Just across the campus, students in Pima JTED’s new artificial intelligence program are tackling a new program at the school. The dual-enrollment course, offered in partnership with Pima Community College, explores the development of AI systems.
“We’re learning how to create AIs while also using software like ChatGPT,” said Bella Campa, a student in the program.
Campa said she has been working with coding since she was in the first grade and even joined a group at the University of Arizona.
“I’m very passionate about coding, and this is a place where I can express my creativity.”
The AI course introduces students to machine learning concepts and tools that are becoming increasingly common in daily life and the workforce.
According to a recent Pew Research study, 34 percent of adults in the U.S. have used ChatGPT, which is about double the percentage from 2023.
“It helps you gain a new understanding of the software you’re using every day,” Campa said.
She hopes to pursue a career in AI and sees this course as a valuable early step.
“It’s always great to get a head start and a glimpse into the future,” she said.
——-
Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
