Can Essential Tremors Impact a Career in Mechatronics or Electrical Engineering?

[vittle12]

I am interested in mechatronics or electrical engineering, and I enjoy things such as electronics and programming as a hobby, mechanics as well.

I do however, have some mild essential tremor, which means that my hand trembles slightly when I move it(not parkinson's, this is benign). Although it's completely manageable at 18, I don't know if it'll get worse as I get older.

I am wondering if it would affect my soldering abilities if in the future I do such an engineering field. Mechatronics for example. Does it include very fine motor skills? Do I need ultra-precise hands for such a thing? Do engineers need to demonstrate fine motor skills or is that up to the factory robots...

 

[twasnow]

well certainly fine motor skills are useful for school, being able to prototype boards. But in the work place you will rarely get your hands dirty with a solder.

There is no reason to not enter into mechatronics due to jittery hands, Robotics is my absolute favourite subject and I personally wouldn't let something like that get in the way.

but I must say, if you are able to write you will be able to solder what you need to.
even if you can't you will still be able to do 99% of the work required for your course.

(and you could always develop a robotic hand with a motion filter to eliminate your jitter.) truthfully they already have... they use them for very precise surgery.

 

[twasnow]

oops double post