Save the Date: International Women in Robotics Day

Mark your calendars! International Women in Robotics Day returns on October 7, 2026. This annual celebration recognizes the incredible women shaping robotics around the world and inspires the next generation to see themselves in our field.

As part of the celebration, nominations are now open for our annual Women in Robotics You Need to Know About list. We encourage you to nominate a colleague, mentor, collaborator—or yourself!—to help us showcase the diverse talent, leadership, and innovation driving robotics forward. Nominations are open now on the Women in Robotics website.

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Joanne Pransky Celebration of Women in Robotics Scholarship

Applications are now open for the Joanne Pransky Celebration of Women in Robotics Scholarship, which honors Joanne’s legacy by supporting the next generation of women in robotics through their education. This year’s scholarship will award ten $1,000 scholarships, with applications due August 30, 2026. We encourage students interested in robotics to apply and members of our community to help spread the word.

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Welcome to Our New Board Member

We’re delighted to welcome Revati Naik to the Women in Robotics Board of Directors.

Revati has been an active leader in our community for several years, helping organize Bay Area events, growing local engagement, and creating opportunities for members to connect and share their work. We’re excited to have her join the board and look forward to the energy, experience, and perspective she’ll bring as we continue expanding Women in Robotics around the world.

Robots and Startups spotlight from Andra Keay and Silicon Valley Robotics

In our annual “Women in Robotics you need to know about” list, which comes out in October for International Women in Robotics Day, we feature a cross section of roles in robotics, including women in entrepreneurial and business leadership roles. Because so much of what I do involves supporting startups and investment into robotics, whether with Silicon Valley Robotics, IEEE Entrepreneurship and RAS or my weekly Robots & Startups newsletter, I’d like to also spotlight some of these great female startup founders and CEOs. If they haven’t made our Women in Robotics annual list yet, I’m sure they will soon. However, my selection here is very US and Silicon Valley centric. Please share with me other women leading robotics companies that I need to know about! andra@womeninrobotics.org

Senior Leaders

Peggy Johnson is the CEO of Agility Robotics and Board Member of BlackRock and Fox. Agility Robotics has raised more than $600 million for a valuation of over $3 billion. Previously, after 25 years at Qualcomm, transitioning from engineering to leadership, Johnson spent 6 years running Business Development at Microsoft and then served as the CEO of Magic Leap, a spatial computing platform.

“I am forever grateful to the two women who inspired me to pursue engineering, which in turn has made me passionate about encouraging young women to pursue STEM careers.”

Up and coming Startup Leaders

Zinny Weli & Celine Wang met seven years ago at Stanford as engineers passionate about helping robots operate in the messy real world and are now the cofounders of RoboDock, a YCombinator 2026 startup. RoboDock is building the automation layer for modern vehicle depots, starting with charging – designed to integrate with the systems fleets already use, not rip and replace them.

Women in Robotics: Conversations

In the latest Women in Robotics conversation, we speak with Alona Pammer, co-founder and CTO of Devanthro, about the future of elderly care robotics. Alona shares how Devanthro is building “Robodies,” humanoid robots combining physical AI and teleoperation to help people age in the comfort of their own home. The conversation explores elder care innovation, human-centered design, humanoid robotics, and Alona’s experience building a deep tech company as a young female CTO.

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Chapter Highlights

New York

The New York City Chapter had an amazing event featuring Revise Robotics - a company that refurbishes old laptops. We learned a great deal from Tarini and Anura (founding engineers) and then got to take apart some out keyboards and refurbish our own jewelry.

Bay Area

The Bay Area Chapter hosted “AI & Autonomy: From Research to Robots,” bringing together researchers, engineers, and robotics enthusiasts for an evening of insightful discussions and live demonstrations. Attendees heard from Sanja Damjanovic, who explored how vision-language models(VLMs) are transforming robotics by enabling systems to reason from perception to planning, and Prachi Sethi, who showcased OpenMind’s BrainPack platform through a live demonstration. The event sparked engaging conversations about the future of AI-powered robotics and highlighted the importance of building connections across industry and academia.

Letter from the President

As they say, if you want something done, ask a busy woman to do it! Everything that Women in Robotics does is done as a community of volunteers, so it’s an absolute pleasure to see how we continue to grow, women and non-binary people supporting each other. There are more than 3000 members of the online community and new chapters coming online in Europe, Canada and Australia, and the expansion of US.

Of course that means that sometimes great activities we’ve done in the past, like the mentoring program or online speaker events don’t happen for a year or two, and local chapters go dormant for a while. But something we’ve been working very hard on is trying to create a support infrastructure to share our collective knowledge and help enthusiastic volunteers get initiatives up and running - special shout out to Allison Thackston, Dharini Dutia and Revati Naik. If you’d like to see more Women in Robotics events or programs, please reach out to us!

-Andra Keay

End of Year Review

Our Community, Growing

Everything Women in Robotics does is powered by volunteers. So when we look back at this year, these numbers represent people — organizers, mentors, speakers, chapter leads, and community members who showed up for each other.

• Substack: 2,028 → 2,292 subscribers (+264)

• Chapters: 22 → 25 worldwide

• Slack: 2,859 → 3,850 members

We are now a community of more than 3,000 women and non-binary people in robotics supporting each other across research, industry, startups, and academia.

Joanne Pransky Scholarship

We continue to support the Women in Robotics Scholarship Fund — established in memory of Joanne Pransky, a pioneering voice in robotics who championed both the human and technical sides of the field. The fund exists to expand access and opportunity for people pursuing robotics through education.

The Joanne Pransky Celebration of Women in Robotics Scholarship — open to:

• Female-identifying high school seniors, undergraduates, and graduate students

• Applicants with a demonstrated interest in robotics and its future impact

• Those willing to share their vision for the field, often through a short written submission (e.g., a creative essay on robotics in the future)

This scholarship is made possible through generous contributions from the community, as well as support from the Joseph F. Engelberger Foundation and A3 Robotics / Association for Advancing Automation.

Winners for the Spring 2026 cycle have been announced — thank you to everyone who applied and to everyone contributing to the fund. Your support helps ensure that Joanne’s legacy lives on through the success of future roboticists.

Expanding Our Global Reach

This year we welcomed new chapters in Greece, and Argentina, also revival of the chapter in France. Each chapter reflects local leadership stepping forward to create space — whether that’s hosting a coffee meetup, organizing a panel, or bringing WiR to a major robotics conference.

Chapters naturally ebb and flow as volunteers’ careers and lives evolve. That’s part of being a volunteer-led organization. What matters is that the network remains strong, and that when someone is ready to lead, the community is there to support them.

Robots and Startups spotlight from Andra Keay and Silicon Valley Robotics

In our annual “Women in Robotics you need to know about” list, which comes out in October for International Women in Robotics Day, we feature a cross section of roles in robotics, including women in entrepreneurial and business leadership roles. Because so much of what I do involves supporting startups and investment into robotics, whether with Silicon Valley Robotics, IEEE Entrepreneurship and RAS or my weekly Robots & Startups newsletter, I’d like to also spotlight some of these great female startup founders and CEOs. If they haven’t made our Women in Robotics annual list yet, I’m sure they will soon. However, my selection here is very US and Silicon Valley centric. Please share with me other women leading robotics companies that I need to know about! andra@womeninrobotics.org

Senior Leaders: Vivian Chu & Andrea Thomaz

Andrea Thomaz & Vivian Chu are the cofounders of Diligent Robotics with the vision of creating socially intelligent robot assistants that improve human labor productivity. Diligent’s Moxi The Robot is deployed at more than 25 hospitals and has completed more than 1.25 million deliveries. Since its inception, Diligent has raised over $100 million in financing from investors including Tiger Global, Canaan, and True Ventures. Diligent Robotics has just been acquired by Serve, expanding their autonomous robotics platforms and expanding market opportunity beyond last-mile delivery. Andrea Thomaz will remain as CEO of Diligent responsible for ongoing operation, while Vivian Chu moves into a leadership role across Serve’s robotics groups.

Up and Coming Startup Leaders: Shivani Mouleswaran & Ritika Shrivastava

Shivani Mouleeswaran & Ritika Shrivastava cofounded Ember Robotics in 2024 to solve problems they saw during their time at Tesla and Simbe Robotics working in computer vision and autopilot. Ember Robotics is a YCombinator 2024 alumni and provides a real-time on-device fault detection and monitoring system for robots, IoT and hardware in the field.

Women in Robotics: Conversations

Meet the 2025 Women in Robotics winner who is making “powered clothing” a reality. Kathryn Zealand shares the story of Skip, the engineering behind their ultralight exoskeleton, and her journey from the UN and McKinsey to the forefront of the robotics revolution.

Chapter Highlights

Michigan

By Zahraa Bazzi

In September, the Women in Robotics Michigan Chapter teamed up with the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) for a workshop designed to spark interest and bridge the gap between curiosity and engineering.

The day featured presentations and a panel where members shared their journeys in robotics and insights into the future of intelligent systems. Following the panel, the WiR volunteers partnered with the Girl Scout participants for a hands-on workshop. They guided the girls through the assembly and programming of Makeblock mBot kits, going from step-by-step instructions to brainstorming and testing creative custom programs with their robots.

The energy and commitment of the team made a lasting impact on the girls. As GSSEM leadership noted, the event was not only fun but truly inspiring, observing moments of discovery and contagious excitement as the girls explored the field of robotics with curiosity and joy. It was a proud moment to see the participants earning their Robot Design badges and taking home the robots they built to continue expanding their technical skill sets.

Following the success of this collaboration, we are thrilled to announce that the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan has selected our chapter as a National Volunteer Award recipient! This honor celebrates our commitment to the STEAM and Robotics Pillar, and we look forward to the formal ceremony in April.

A special thank you to Dr. Shelley Pelton and Lana Jaeger-Barstad at GSSEM for their incredible partnership. We look forward to inspiring the next generation of innovators with them in the future!

Greece

This year marked the official launch of Women in Robotics Greece, and the response has been extraordinary. In just a few months, the chapter has been featured in national media including CNN Greece and Fortune Greece, helping bring visibility to the mission of increasing representation and leadership for women in robotics across the country.

The chapter was founded by Ioanna Karatzoglou with a clear goal: to create a supportive, visible network for women and non-binary people working in robotics, AI, and related technologies in Greece. Through partnerships with universities, research institutions, and industry, the team is building a space for mentoring, knowledge-sharing, and career development.

Media coverage highlighted both the momentum of Greece’s growing robotics ecosystem and the importance of addressing persistent gender gaps in STEM fields. By creating local opportunities for connection and leadership, WiR Greece is working to ensure that more women are not only participating in robotics — but shaping its future.

The chapter is planning a series of meetups, workshops, and collaborative events in the coming year, and welcomes anyone in the region who would like to get involved.

Behind every breakthrough in robotics lies a foundation of systems, standards, and safeguards that make innovation possible. These are the frameworks that ensure robots don’t just work; they work safely, reliably, and in harmony with the people and environments around them.

This October, we’re continuing our deeper dive into the 2025 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About list, celebrating five honorees each week. This week, we highlight leaders in Standards & Systems — the engineers and researchers building the infrastructure and safety protocols for robotics to thrive.

Whether designing exoskeletons, defining safety protocols, or training the next generation of space explorers, these honorees are shaping how robotics becomes part of everyday life.

They remind us that the future of robotics isn’t built on speed or scale alone, but on care and integrity.

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Shuran Song

Shuran Song is an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford University and directs the Robotics and Embodied AI Lab. Her research sits at the interface of computer vision and robotics; she has earned best-paper awards at RSS and IEEE Transactions on Robotics, as well as an NSF CAREER Award and Sloan Fellowship.

Song’s group develops low-cost sensors, such as a handheld gripper outfitted with microphones that give robots a sense of hearing, and she shares data through open-source datasets like DROID. She aims to enable robots to perceive and manipulate everyday objects using multimodal cues.

Kathryn Zealand

Kathryn Zealand began her career at X (formerly Google X), where she co‑led a “moonshot for mobility.” Her team built AI‑powered exoskeleton trousers that use machine‑learning controllers to provide task‑agnostic assistance and published the results in Nature. The work showed that exosuits could adapt to different activities without manual tuning.

In 2023 Zealand spun the project out to form Skip, where she is co‑founder and chief technology officer. Skip partnered with outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx to develop MO/GO powered pants—movewear that supports hikers and aims to ship to consumers in 2025. Zealand advocates for exoskeleton technology that augments natural movement and is creating a new category of “powered clothing.”

Ann Virts

Ann Virts is project leader for the Mobility Performance of Robotic Systems at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). She develops test methods, artifacts and datasets to measure the performance and safety of mobile and wearable robots.

Virts also serves as associate project leader for NIST’s Emergency Response Robots program, working with emergency responders and technology developers. She has received numerous awards, including a 2023 NIST Bronze Medal and Department of Commerce honours, for her contributions to exoskeleton test methods and emergency-robot standards.

Carole Franklin

Carole Franklin is director of standards development for robotics at the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). She leads the creation of ANSI and ISO robotics standards for safety and interoperability, and represents the industry in educational outreach. Franklin emphasizes that safe deployment of collaborative robot systems requires careful planning and risk assessment, even for power-and-force-limited robots.

Before joining A3, Franklin worked for more than four years at management consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton, leading projects on business process improvement and communications. Earlier she spent a decade in market research at Ford Motor Company and holds BA and MBA degrees from the University of Michigan. With experience spanning corporate research, consulting and standardization, she bridges the needs of end-users and engineers to advance safe and effective robotics.

Meghan Daley

Meghan Daley is a project manager in NASA’s Engineering, Software Robotics & Simulation Division at the Johnson Space Center. Over nearly two decades she has built training simulators, most notably the Generic On-Orbit Robotic Trainer (GROOT), which teaches the USSF how to perform generic rendezvous, proximity, and robotic operations.

Daley also oversees the Dynamic Skills Trainer and Robotic Onboard Trainer projects, preparing crews for NASA’s missions and future exploration. She is a vocal advocate for diversity in robotics and mentors students through outreach programs.

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As robotics becomes part of our everyday lives, the most profound innovations aren’t just about what machines can do — they’re about how humans and robots can understand, support, and learn from one another.

This October, we’re continuing our deeper dive into the 2025 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About list, celebrating five honorees each week. This week, we highlight leaders in Human-Centered Robotics — researchers and engineers making robotics collaborative, inclusive, and accessible.

Their work bridges the space between human intention and robotic action, teaching machines to read the world as we do through context, communication, and care.

Together, they’re redefining what progress looks like in robotics: not faster or stronger, but more thoughtful, inclusive, and connected.

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Nicole Robinson

Dr Nicole Lee Robinson is the CEO of Lyro Robotics. Lyro is a robotics company that builds and deploys software for intelligent pick and pack systems using computer vision, deep learning and robotic systems. Prior to co-founding Lyro Robotics, her PhD involved deploying humanoid robots into industry spaces and finding new ways to improve human-robot teamwork. She has also been involved in fundamental and applied scientific research in academia for over 10 years. She is an Associate Investigator of Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF) and her role is to use robotics to strengthen interdisciplinary science to secure Antarctica as a natural reserve. She is an Advisor to Monash Robogals, which aims to teach robotics to high-school students and to inspire greater participation by women in STEM. She was also named Women in AI’s APAC Grand Winner for 2024.

Dimitra Gkatzia

Dimitra Gkatzia is an associate professor at Edinburgh Napier University specialising in natural-language generation (NLG) and human-robot interaction. She co-leads Scotland’s SICSA AI theme and works on multimodal data integration to help robots communicate more naturally.

Gkatzia developed machine-learning techniques for summarising time-series data during her PhD and founded the NLG4HRI workshop to bring together linguists and roboticists. She has earned best-paper awards and advocates for ethical, privacy-preserving AI.

Sabine Hauert

Sabine Hauert is professor of swarm engineering at the University of Bristol and a leading expert on swarm robotics. After working at MIT, Carnegie Mellon University and EPFL, she established a research program exploring how large numbers of simple robots can perform complex tasks in nanomedicine and environmental monitoring.

Hauert co-founded and serves as president of Robohub.org, one of the world’s most widely read robotics news platforms. She sits on the Royal Society’s machine-learning working group and is an active science communicator, regularly speaking about the societal impact of swarms and campaigning for responsible AI.

Monica Anderson

Monica Anderson is an associate professor in computer science at the University of Alabama. Her research covers distributed autonomy, human-robot teaming and participatory robotics, and she has chaired the AAAI Robotics Workshop/Exhibition.

She also works on community asset mapping and computer-science education, aiming to broaden participation in robotics and computing. Anderson-Herzog mentors students and emphasises collaborative, human-centred robotics.

Shilpa Gulati

Shilpa Gulati is currently the Director of Safety and Compliance for Onboard Software at Waymo. She serves on the Safety Steering Committee as part of Waymo’s Safety Governance framework, helping to ensure the company continues to meet high standards of safety as its service expands across more cities. She also leads Waymo’s Road Rule Compliance program to ensure that the Waymo Driver understands applicable Road Rules and behaves in a way that complies with them.

Previously, she was the Director of Behavior Prediction at Waymo. In this role, she led the team responsible for building the AI/ML algorithms to predict the behavior of other road users—a critical component of the onboard software that drives Waymo’s autonomous vehicles. Before Waymo, Shilpa led teams solving Planning and Prediction problems for Autonomous Vehicles at Nuro and Apple. Shilpa holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Shilpa is an advocate for emerging women leaders, supporting them with strategic advice and tools to develop their careers so they can achieve their full potential and impact.

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Innovation knows no borders. Around the world, robotics is being reimagined by researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs who bring new perspectives to how technology can serve society.

This October, we’re taking a deeper dive into our 2025 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About list, celebrating five honorees each week. This week, we’re highlighting Global Innovators. These women are pioneers shaping robotics across continents and industries.

From autonomous drones and LiDAR navigation in China to humanoid design in Switzerland, assistive robot learning in Germany, and AI-driven vision systems in Spain, these leaders are advancing robotics for a more connected, capable world.

These women remind us that progress in robotics is not defined by geography. It’s driven by imagination, collaboration, and a shared belief in what’s possible.

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Xiaorui Zhu

Dr. Xiaorui Zhu is a pioneering Chinese roboticist who earned her PhD from the University of Utah in 2006. She co‑founded DJI—today the world’s largest consumer‑drone maker—and later co‑founded RoboSense, which develops LiDAR sensors for autonomous vehicles. She is now director of the Galaxy Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Research Institute.

Zhu’s research interests span mobile robots, UAVs and autonomous driving, and she has chaired technical programs for major IEEE robotics conferences. Her contributions have been recognized with awards including China’s National Science & Technology Progress Award. Beyond entrepreneurship, she works to inspire women engineers in China’s growing robotics sector.

Lijin Aryananda

Lijin Aryananda is a robotics researcher and engineer with more than 15 years of experience across Europe, North America, and Asia. After earning her PhD at MIT’s Humanoid Robotics Laboratory, she moved to the University of Zurich’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in 2007 as a postdoctoral researcher. She later held senior industry roles, including chief technology officer at QualySense AG, technical project leader at Hocoma AG, head of robotic platform at Wyss Zurich, and chief technology officer at Auxivo AG.

Aryananda’s expertise spans humanoid robotics, industrial automation, and medical devices. She is currently a scientific researcher at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), where she works on artificial-intelligence methods for tomography reconstruction. Having bridged academia and start-ups, she advocates for inclusive leadership and designs systems that combine AI, perception, and robustness for real-world use.

Georgia Chalvatzaki

Georgia Chalvatzaki is a Full Professor of Computer Science at TU Darmstadt, where she leads the Interactive Robot Perception & Learning (PEARL) Lab. Her research explores how robots can understand and adapt to humans, focusing on perception, learning, and mobile manipulation. She develops human-centric methods that allow robots to act safely and intelligently in everyday environments, from predicting human motion to learning complex manipulation skills. Her current flagship project, the ERC Starting Grant SIREN, investigates how structured and holistic representations can give robots the ability to interact more naturally and reliably in human environments.

Her pioneering contributions have been recognized with some of Germany’s most prestigious honors, including the Alfried Krupp Prize for Young Professors (2025) and the Emmy Noether Award (2021), as well as multiple Best Paper Awards in flagship conferences and workshops (e.g., ICRA, IROS, and RSS). She has also been named an ELLIS Scholar, AI Newcomer of the German Informatics Society, and RSS Pioneer, and has delivered keynote talks at leading international venues such as IROS and CoRL. Beyond her research, Georgia is deeply committed to community building and inclusion. As Co-Chair of the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society Women in Engineering Committee (RAS-WiE) of the Robotics and Automation Society, she helped launch the IDEA Travel Grant to support diversity, and currently as Chair of RAS WiE she introduced the new WiRA Awards to highlight women’s contributions to robotics.

Mar Masulli

Mar Masulli is CEO and co-founder of BitMetrics, a Spanish Physical AI start-up that provides software-driven intelligence to bring autonomy to the physical world.
BitMetrics software enables visual perception and context awareness on automated systems to handle variability, to adapt in real time and operate reliably in unstructured environments. Whether it’s picking, placing, sorting or inspecting, BitMetrics works with clients to create vision-first, adaptive automation solutions.

Masulli previously held leadership roles at IBM, British Telecom and EY before founding BitMetrics. She is a board member of the Spanish Robotics Association and uses her platform to push for accessible, human-centred robotics.

Alona Kharchenko

Alona Kharchenko is co-founder and CTO of Devanthro, a Munich-based deep tech startup developing Robodies - humanoid robots bringing embodied AI into people’s homes. She joined the Roboy research project at TU Munich in 2015 and now leads Devanthro’s engineering team. Her team pioneered the world’s first deployment of humanoids in private homes, living with and caring for people across Germany. She has been recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list (2023) and as a Women TechEU awardee (2024).

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This October, we’re taking a deeper dive into our 2025 Women in Robotics you need to Know About list, celebrating five honorees each week. This week we’re celebrating leaders who expand our horizons: advancing robotic touch and UAV inspection, exploring outer space, redefining AI, and sharing the story of robotics to the world.

These five honorees remind us that vision is not only about seeing what lies ahead. It’s about inspiring others to believe in what’s possible.

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Heba Khamis

Heba Khamis is CEO and co-founder of Contactile, a Sydney start-up designing tactile sensors that give robots a human-like sense of touch. Khamis earned a PhD in engineering and has been developing tactile sensors since 2014.

Contactile’s nine-element sensor enables robots to grip unknown objects securely and safely, allowing them to operate in unstructured environments. The company has been recognised among Australia’s most innovative manufacturers and has collaborated on research with universities.

Kelen Teixeira Vivaldini

Kelen Teixeira Vivaldini is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil. She leads research on autonomous robots, intelligent systems, and mission planning for UAVs, with applications in environmental monitoring, aircraft inspection, and precision agriculture.

With over a decade of experience in robotics, embedded systems, and AI applied to autonomy, she integrates modeling, implementation, and validation of robotic systems in her work. Her research advances navigation and planning strategies for ground and aerial robots, contributing to more efficient and reliable autonomous systems.

Vivaldini’s academic trajectory combines research and teaching, fostering innovation and collaboration in robotics while training the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Natalie Panek

Natalie Panek is a mission systems engineer at MDA’s Robotics & Automation division, where she designs locomotion systems and robotic arms for space missions. She helped develop the chassis and mobility system for the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover and works on satellite-servicing robotics.

Panek is a vocal advocate for women in STEM. She founded the Panek Room blog to mentor young people and has been named to Forbes 30 Under 30. Outside engineering she holds a pilot’s licence and hopes to travel to space.

Joelle Pineau

Joelle Pineau is a Canadian AI researcher and professor of computer science at McGill University. She co-directs the Reasoning & Learning Lab and co-founded the SmartWheeler and Nursebot projects to build assistive robots for older adults. A fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, she has championed reproducibility initiatives and served as Meta’s global vice-president of AI research.

After leaving Meta in May 2025, Pineau joined Cohere as the company’s first chief AI officer. In this role she oversees AI strategy across research, product and policy teams. Pineau helped develop Meta’s early Llama models and sees Cohere’s focus on practical enterprise applications as an opportunity to build more secure and private AI systems.

Hallie Siegel

From 2008-2010 Siegel worked at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control (IDSC) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) with Raffaello D’Andrea’s research group. On her return to her native Canada in 2010, she continued to consult with various groups at ETH, including the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the European Control Association, and the Gramazio Kohler Group, for whom she wrote edited and wrote key portions of the successful CHF 13.4 million NCCR grant for Digital Fabrication.

Hallie Siegel served as Robohub’s first Managing Editor - from March 2013 to January 2016 - and in that time built an international network of over 150 expert contributors and grew Robohub’s readership to 75,000 unique monthly visitors.

Key contributions toward these goals include launching and co-authoring (Feb 2014 - Nov 2015) Robohub’s monthly digest; moderating the Robotics panel at the 2013 Open Innovations Forum in Moscow, developing curriculum and delivering science communication workshops at ICRA and the Skolkovo Robotics Conference, developing more than a dozen focus series on key topics like standardization in robotics, autonomous cars, regulating robotics, and the Big Deals series, which looks at why major companies like Google, Amazon and Softbank are investing in the field.

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It’s International Women in Robotics Day, and we’re delighted to introduce this year’s edition of “Women in Robotics You Need to Know About”! Robotics is no longer confined to factories or research labs. Today, it’s helping us explore space, care for people, grow food, and connect across the globe. Behind these breakthroughs are women who lead research groups, launch startups, set safety standards, and inspire the next generation. Too often, their contributions remain under-recognized, and this list is one way we can make that work visible.

This year’s list highlights 20 women in robotics you need to know about in 2025. They are professors, engineers, founders, communicators, and project leaders. Some are early in their careers, others have already shaped the field for decades. Their work ranges from tactile sensing that gives robots a human-like sense of touch, to swarm robotics for medicine and the environment, to embodied AI that may one day live in our homes. They come from across the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Together, they show us just how wide the world of robotics really is.

We publish this list not only to celebrate their achievements, but also to counter the persistent invisibility of women in robotics. Representation matters. When women’s contributions are overlooked, we risk reinforcing the false perception that robotics is not their domain. The honorees you’ll meet here prove the opposite. They are making discoveries, leading teams, starting companies, writing the standards, and pushing the boundaries of what robots can do.

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The 2025 Honorees

• Heba Khamis
  Heba Khamis is lecturer at UNSW and co-founder of Contactile, start-up making tactile sensors that give robots a human sense of touch to enable them to perform difficult material handling tasks.

• Kelen Teixeira Vivaldini
  Kelen Teixeira Vivaldini is a professor at UFSCar, Brazil, researching autonomous robots, intelligent systems, and mission planning, with applications in environmental monitoring and inspection.

• Natalie Panek
  Natalie Panek is a senior engineer in systems design and works in the robotics and automation division of the space technology company, MDA. She was named on Forbes 2015 30 under 30 and one of WXN’s 2014 Top 100 award winners.

• Joelle Pineau
  Joelle Pineau is a Canadian AI researcher and robotics leader and a professor at McGill. She also served as Meta AI’s vice‑president until 2025. She co‑directs the Reasoning & Learning Lab, co‑founded SmartWheeler and Nursebot and champions reproducible research

• Hallie Siegel
  Hallie Siegel is a science communicator and former Robohub editor, building global networks that connect researchers and the public.

• Xiaorui Zhu
  Xiaorui Zhu co-founded DJI and RoboSense and directs Galaxy AI & Robotics, with award-winning research in UAVs, autonomous driving and mobile robotics.

• Lijin Aryananda
  Lijin Aryananda is a robotics researcher with 15+ years’ experience in humanoids, automation & medical devices. At ZHAW she develops AI methods for tomography, bridging academia & industry with inclusive leadership.

• Georgia Chalvatzaki
  Georgia Chalvatzaki, professor at TU Darmstadt and head of the PEARL Lab, advances human-centric robot learning. Her work blends AI and robotics to give mobile manipulators the ability to collaborate safely and intelligently with people.

• Mar Masulli
  Mar Masulli is CEO & co-founder of BitMetrics, using AI to give robots & machines vision and reasoning. She also serves on the Spanish Robotics Association board.

• Alona Kharchenko
  Alona Kharchenko is co-founder & CTO of Devanthro, building embodied AI for homes, and was recognized by Forbes as 30 Under 30.

• Nicole Robinson
  Nicole Robinson is the co-founder of Lyro Robotics, deploying AI pick-and-pack robots for industry.

• Dimitra Gkatzia
  Dimitra Gkatzia is an associate professor at Edinburgh Napier, advancing natural language generation for human-robot interaction.

• Sabine Hauert
  Sabine Hauert is a professor at the University of Bristol, co-founder of Robohub, and a pioneer in swarm robotics for nanomedicine and the environment.

• Monica Anderson
  Monica Anderson is a professor at the University of Alabama, researching distributed autonomy and inclusive human-robot teaming.

• Shilpa Gulati
  Shilpa Gulati is an experienced engineering leader with over 15 years of experience in building and scaling teams to solve complex problems in Robotics using state-of-the-art technologies.

• Shuran Song
  Shuran Song is a Stanford professor and robotics researcher, building low-cost systems for robot perception and releasing influential open datasets.

• Kathryn Zealand
  Kathryn Zealand is co-founder of Skip, building powered clothing, “e-bikes for walking”. She spun the project out of X and has a background in theoretical physics.

• Ann Virts
  Ann Virts is a NIST project leader developing test methods for mobile and wearable robots, recognized with a U.S. DOC Bronze Medal.

• Carole Franklin
  Carole Franklin directs standards development for robotics at the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), leading ANSI & ISO robot safety work. With a background at Booz Allen & Ford, she champions safe, effective deployment of robots.

• Meghan Daley
  Meghan Daley is a NASA project manager who leads teams to develop and integrate simulations for robotic operations to prepare astronauts on the ISS and beyond.

✨ We’ll be spotlighting five honorees each week throughout October, so stay tuned for deeper profiles and stories of their work.

Why it matters

Robotics is not just about technology; its about people. By showcasing these individuals, we hope to inspire the next generation, connect the community, and advance the values of diversity and inclusion in STEM

📢 Join the conversation on social media with #WomenInRobotics and help us celebrate the people making robotics better for everyone.

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Our 2025 theme is “Inspire. Connect. Advance.” We’re inviting members, allies, companies, and chapters to celebrate with meetups, panels, open labs, and showcases.

Learn more

How to get involved: Host or join an event, submit your event to the global map, and share stories using the theme in your title/description.

Joanne Pransky Scholarship

Thanks to community support, the Women in Robotics–sponsored Joanne Pransky Scholarship is directly helping women and non-binary students pursue robotics education and research. If you’re able, please consider a tax-deductible gift to keep the fund growing.

Donate

Congratulations to our March 2025 winners!

Welcome, new chapters!

We’re thrilled to celebrate new chapters in Egypt and Argentina, plus a reboot of Paris, France. If you’re nearby, jump in to help with kickoff events and mentoring. Interested in starting a chapter where you are? We’ve got a starter kit and monthly office hours.

Find or start a chapter

Hiring better, building better

Don’t miss the recent article on how to hire women in robotics—practical steps for inclusive job descriptions, structured interviews, and candidate support that improve outcomes for everyone. Share it with your hiring teams and allies.

Read the article

Member Spotlight

Meet Nasim Fallahiarezoodar, a space roboticist designing cooperative control for dual-arm manipulators in orbit. Her work at the frontier of on-orbit servicing combines reinforcement learning and classical control to enable debris removal and in-space assembly—pushing forward sustainable space operations while building a global, supportive robotics community.

Also meet Mandy Meindersma, a web developer and maker who bridges the gap between software and hardware through playful side projects, from wiring a rotary phone to crafting LED bracelets. Passionate about inspiring the next generation, she’s sharing her skills with young builders through workshops and community events while charting her own path deeper into robotics.

Chapter Highlights

Bay Area

By Revati Naik

Robotics Over Coffee: Building Connections & Sparking Innovation

The Women in Robotics – Bay Area Chapter recently came together for an evening of connection, conversation, and collaboration at our Robotics Over Coffee: Connect, Share & Celebrate meetup. Hosted by Revati Naik, this intimate gathering brought together over 10 incredible women from academia, industry, and startups.

The highlight of the evening was a lightning talk by Chitrangada Devulapalli, who presented “Enhancing Robotic Grasping with Multimodal Sensing.” Her research integrates visual and tactile sensing to improve grasp success prediction in robotic manipulation.

We’re excited to announce that our next Women in Robotics event will focus on Safety Compliance in AI Datasets — a crucial area as AI-driven robotics systems continue to scale. Details will be shared soon, so stay tuned!

Finally, we’re thrilled to welcome new members to our Bay Area community: Chitrangada Devulapalli, Emily Zimmerman, Aastha Sharma, Chesley Austin, Taru Mishra, Julia Jia, and more. We’re thrilled to expand our network of brilliant women and allies who are shaping the future of robotics.

This event was a reminder that our community thrives on shared knowledge, support, and the drive to push boundaries together. Here’s to more conversations, collaborations, and breakthroughs ahead!

New York

By Mandy Meindersma

Upcoming event: Tinker and talk

Date: Tuesday, Sep 16th 2025

Time: 6:00 pm EDT

RSVP here

Join us for a hands-on breadboarding workshop, Human Robot Interaction talk, and networking with fellow tech enthusiasts at Tinker & Talk! We are so stoked to be partnering with Wunderkind to host this event on the 74th floor of the World Trade Center!

If you have any questions for the New York chapter, feel free to DM us: Mandy Meindersma and Jasmine Lawrence Campbell.

Boston

By Colleen Anderson

Our Women in Robotics community continues to grow, and it’s been incredible to see more and more people attending each meetup.

Thank you, Analog Devices and Analog Garage, for opening your doors and providing a wonderful panel of women at various stages of their careers. We loved hearing about your journeys and what brought you to Analog Devices. It was also inspiring to hear how supportive Analog Devices is. The rooftop venue was a fantastic spot for networking. So many great conversations and connections!

Thank you to Analog Devices for sponsoring & Analog Garage for hosting this event—your support made this event possible!

Our next Boston chapter meetup will be sponsored and hosted by the RAI Institute on October 7th. You can register here.

San Antonio

by Stephanie Garcia

The San Antonio chapter of Women in Robotics focuses on connecting young women with industry professionals, helping them explore opportunities, gain mentorship, and build lasting careers in robotics.

Through WiR SA’s community and industry partnerships, Katie and Lin, rising juniors and members of the Lutheran High School robotics team in San Antonio, were selected for mentorships with Alt Bionics, Inc., a local company that develops accessible prosthetics. The opportunity came after a team tour, where CEO & Founder, Ryan Saavedra, was impressed by their STEM experience and passion for equal access. Through the school’s Innovation Hour and Genius Grant program, they worked on self-paced projects exploring prosthetic design, coding, and biomechanics.

Beyond the immediate learning opportunities, these mentorships will significantly enhance both students' resumes and scholarship opportunities. The real-world research experience will provide compelling material for college essays and demonstrate their commitment to STEM fields to admissions committees at top-tier institutions.

Women in Robotics San Antonio congratulates Katie and Lin on their Alt Bionics mentorship and wishes them luck in their future endeavors. Special thanks to Alt Bionics, Inc., CEO & Founder, Ryan Saavedra, for his support.

Resource Corner

By Sonia Roberts

The Robot Academy has a treasure trove of introductory videos about robotics. Here's a gentle introduction to kinematics for a simple robot arm!

Happy International Women in Robotics Day!

This year, our theme for International Women in Robotics Day on October 2 is "Shine a Light." We aim to highlight the unsung contributions of women in robotics. As part of this celebration, we will publish our annual list of ‘50 women in robotics you need to know about’, announce the latest Joanne Pransky Women in Robotics scholarship winners, encourage companies and communities to hold events, and invite everyone to join our Photo Challenge.

This initiative seeks to increase the representation of women working in robotics, showcasing their contributions to the field.

You can "Shine a Light" too!

And our scholarship winners are….

The Joanne Pransky Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of Joanne Pransky, a pioneer and advocate for women in robotics. This scholarship supports young women pursuing careers in robotics and aims to foster inclusivity and diversity in the field.

We are very grateful to all of Joanne’s friends and family for their contributions to the fund, and want to call out The Joseph F. Engelberger Foundation and A3, the Association for Advancing Automation for their very generous donations!

Joseph Engelberger is renowned as the “Father of Robotics” creating the first commercial robot arm company in 1961. Engelberger later moved on to creating the first service robot called HelpMate, and one of his key team members was a woman, Bala Krishnamurthy, who was the chief software and navigation engineer. Bala Krishnamurthy was featured in our “2020 women in robotics you need to know about” list.

The Joanne Pransky Scholarship is open to juniors, seniors, and undergraduates and now to graduate students who demonstrate exceptional talent and dedication in robotics, particularly students who have overcome difficulty to pursue their dreams. The next round of scholarships is now open with a deadline of February 1st 2025.

Contribute to the fund

I am absolutely overjoyed and deeply humbled to be selected as this year’s winner. As a Sri Lankan undergraduate student at Yale studying electrical engineering, this recognition feels particularly meaningful. It has been a journey shaped by curiosity and passion for robotics, and being acknowledged in this way is a profound honor. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the platform you provide to celebrate the achievements of women in robotics. This award strengthens my commitment to contribute meaningfully to the field, especially as someone from a background that is often underrepresented in STEM. Thank you for inspiring and supporting women like me, and for the work you do to elevate diversity in robotics.

The Next Round of Scholarship Applications Is Now Open!

Applications are now open for the next round of scholarships and the deadline is February 1st, 2025. We encourage eligible WiR members to apply and take advantage of this valuable opportunity to support their education and career in robotics.

For more information and to apply, visit our Scholarship Page.

Women in Robotics Annual List

In celebration of International Women in Robotics Day, we compile an annual list of "Women in Robotics You Need to Know About."  This year we’ll be announcing a few women who are joining the 2024 edition every few days throughout October, starting with the amazing women of ICRA 1984, the first International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

Since 2012, the Women in Robotics organization has released a list of women building the future in robotics. The list covers all ages, career stages, occupations, and experiences. We’ve featured more than 350 women already and showing that women have always been working in the robotics industry, in the earliest robotics research labs and companies. 

We invite you to nominate women for our 2025 list! Visit our Nominations Page for more details. And don’t forget to browse the gallery from previous years!

View Gallery

Thank you for your ongoing support and for being an essential part of our community. Together, we are shining a light on the incredible talent of women in robotics and paving the way for future generations.

Best regards,

Allison Thackston

Vice President, Women in Robotics

Member Spotlight - Dimitra Gkatzia

Meet Dimitra Gkatzia, a Natural Language Generation (NLG) expert whose passion lies in teaching computers "how to talk." Driven by the complexities of making robots communicate naturally with humans—considering gestures, emotions, and environmental context—she is motivated by the challenge of enabling social robots to seamlessly interact with people by recognizing and discussing their surroundings.

Currently, she is an Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University, leading the UK-funded CiViL project, which focuses on giving robots human-like abilities, such as commonsense reasoning and communication. She also co-founded NLG4HRI, a workshop series dedicated to advancing NLG methods for Human-Robot Interaction.

Her favorite aspect of robotics is the field’s expansive possibilities and transformative potential. However, she acknowledges the significant barriers to entry for researchers. Looking ahead, she is excited about the potential of robotics to provide impactful solutions in areas like assistive technology, education, and healthcare.

Chapter Highlights

New Women in Robotics Chapter - Denmark

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new Women in Robotics chapter in Denmark! This chapter is led by Dr. Antonia Krummheuer, a sociologist passionate about social practices, assistive technologies, and human-robot interaction, and Dr. Kristina Tornbjerg Eriksen, a techno-anthropologist focusing on human-robot collaboration in healthcare.

Antonia brings a wealth of knowledge in understanding how people interact with technology in real-world settings, while Kristina’s expertise in the sociotechnical aspects of robotics provides a comprehensive view of how robots integrate into complex environments like hospitals. Together, they aim to build a strong, diverse network that celebrates and amplifies the contributions of women in robotics across Denmark.

The Denmark chapter is committed to showcasing the diversity of women in robotics, attracting more female talent to this growing field, and strengthening connections across academia, industry, and education. They aim to make women’s work in robotics more visible and encourage a thriving, supportive community for women across disciplines.

We look forward to seeing how this chapter will grow and inspire the next generation of women in robotics in Denmark!

Women in Robotics - Bay Area

A round of applause for our trivia champions at the "Celebrating Women in Open-Source Robotics" event!

In the exciting "Know Your Bots" trivia round, these brilliant women put their robotics knowledge to the test, answering the names of famous robots based on intriguing facts. 

It was an inspiring evening of learning, networking, and celebrating the incredible women shaping the future of open-source robotics community.

Missed the event? Don't worry! Stay tuned for more exciting events like this one, where we highlight the achievements of women in robotics and bring the community together.

#WomeninRobotics #OpenSource #Robotics #TriviaNight

Leading Ladies

by Mufaro Mutanga

Representation matters and it is certainly refreshing to see women pursue their ideas in the world of robotics leading to establishing and leading enterprises. A glimpse into their stories shows that the journey is not without difficulty but conviction enabled them to push through barriers until finally finding success. 

Catalyzing Healthcare Robotics:

Festo - Nuzha Yakoob, Head of Technical Innovation (MIET MIEEE), has been instrumental in launching the Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst program at MassRobotics. Her initiative supports emerging healthcare robotics startups, providing essential guidance and resources to scale their technologies. Committed to fostering innovation, Yakoob aims to drive the program's third cohort towards market readiness, reflecting her dedication to advancing medical robotics through leadership and expertise.

Upcoming Events

A snapshot of Women in Robotics casual lunch last year, catch us again at ROSCon 2024 for more inspiring conversations and lasting connections!

Special thanks to Mufaro Mutanga and Dharini Dutia for their contributions to this newsletter!

As we move through another inspiring quarter, we are excited to share some incredible updates and announcements that highlight our ongoing efforts and achievements.

International Women in Robotics Day Oct 2: "Shine a Light"

This year, our theme for International Women in Robotics Day on October 2 is "Shine a Light." We aim to highlight the unsung contributions of women in robotics. As part of this celebration, we will publish our annual list, encourage companies and communities to hold events, and invite everyone to join our Photo Challenge. This initiative seeks to increase the representation of women working in robotics, showcasing their contributions to the field.

Read more

Women in Robotics Annual List

In celebration of Ada Lovelace Day, we compile an annual list of "Women in Robotics You Need to Know About."  Since 2012, the Women in Robotics organization has released a list of women building the future in robotics. The list has covered all ages, career stages, types of occupation, and experience. We’ve featured more than 350 women already and we’ve shown that women have always been working in the robotics industry, in the earliest robotics research labs and companies, although those stories have often been forgotten.  We invite you to nominate women for our 2024 list by August 15th. 

Visit our Nominations Page for more details.

Welcome to Our New Board Member: Stephanie Garcia

We are thrilled to announce the addition of Stephanie Garcia from San Antonio to our Board. Stephanie brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective that will be invaluable as we continue to grow and advance our mission. 

Read more

Joanne Pransky Scholarship

The Joanne Pransky Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of Joanne Pransky, a pioneer and advocate for women in robotics. This scholarship supports young women pursuing careers in robotics and aims to foster inclusivity and diversity in the field. It is open to juniors, seniors, and first-year college students who demonstrate exceptional talent and dedication in robotics.

Contribute to the fund

Celebrating Our First Winners

We are thrilled to announce the first three recipients of the Joanne Pransky Scholarship: Quynh Anh Le, Mariana Cruz-Gonzalez, and Isle Vaughn.

These outstanding individuals have shown remarkable promise and commitment to advancing robotics. We congratulate them and look forward to their future contributions to the field.

Upcoming scholarship Opportunities

The next scholarship deadline is September 1st, 2024. We encourage all eligible members to apply and take advantage of this valuable opportunity to support their education and career in robotics.

For more information and to apply, visit our Scholarship Page.

Mentorship Program: Coming Soon

We are excited to announce the launch of this year’s Women in Robotics Mentorship program. Stay tuned for more details on how you can participate and benefit from this enriching program.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to Women in Robotics. Together, we are making a significant impact and paving the way for future generations of women in this dynamic field.

Best regards,

Allison Thackston

Vice President, Women in Robotics

Member Spotlight - Sue Keay

Meet Sue Keay, a research scientist turned robotics advocate based in Australia. Her journey into robotics was sparked by her sister's influence, leading her to play a pivotal role in setting up Australia's first robotic vision research center. Today, she consults, advises boards, and champions robotics initiatives across industries. Passionate about sustainability and diversity in tech, she's shaping Australia's robotics landscape and advocating for inclusive solutions worldwide.

Read Sue Keay's full interview and discover her insights on the future of robotics, her favorite innovations, and her dedication to supporting the next generation of women in tech.

Read more

Chapter Highlights

New Women in Robotics chapters

We are thrilled to announce the launch of two new Women in Robotics chapters in Switzerland and Colombia. The Colombia chapter is led by Daniela Atencio, an architect and researcher in advanced technologies in architecture, and Camila Dussan, an architect and computational design enthusiast.  The Switzerland chapter is led by Nadja Niemann, a cognitive scientist specializing in human-machine interaction, and Kateryna Portmann, a leader in medical robotics at Hocoma AG. Together, these leaders are poised to inspire and advance the presence of women in robotics in their respective regions.

Women in Robotics San Antonio

by Stephanie Garcia

In January, Women in Robotics SA hosted the community event, “Preparing San Antonio's Gen-Next Innovators”, an official event for DreamWeek 2024, a two-week long celebration in the Alamo City which aims to exchange ideas, inspire discussion, and ignite change. The event, which was held at the Boeing Center at Tech Port, featured three local nonprofits who are designing innovative programs within technology that have touched the lives of hundreds of young people.  Jim Perschbach, Kelly Heritage Foundation President, was our featured speaker where he announced that the KHF contributed over $400,000 to these programs, which are pathways to life-changing career opportunities in our region’s advanced technologies: aerospace, cybersecurity, robotics, space science and much more. Many elementary, middle, and high school girls were in attendance, which presented an opportunity for them to engage with industry professionals.

In celebration of Women History Month, WiR SA hosted “Leading Women in Tech”, a special event highlighting some of the local women who are at the forefront of groundbreaking technological advances in cybersecurity, aerospace, robotics and more, that are being used across the nation and around the world while creating life-changing career and entrepreneurial opportunities in our hometown. All ages were welcome and were able to meet an array of inspiring leaders, make connections and learn about career and educational pathways to be a part of San Antonio’s rising profile as a global capital of tech innovation. Also in attendance were two of San Antonio’s Councilwomen.

Ivy Vasquez Sandoval represented Women in Robotics SA, during an interview for R20, a scholastic Esports tournament, hosted by the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology.  Ivy talked about her career journey and how her passion for gaming and esports helped her develop skill sets that are not only applicable to robotics; but sought after by robotics companies recruiting talent. Ivy also spoke about her positive experience with Women in Robotics, and its mission to connect, advance, and inspire women and girls who aspire to pursue a career in robotics.

Women in Robotics Bay Area

by Revati Naik

We are thrilled to share our latest event hosted by Chef Robotics in the vibrant heart of the San Francisco Bay Area! The event brought together an incredibly diverse and dynamic group of attendees, with women comprising the majority of attendees.

The event included a series of demos by the talented team at Chef, showcasing the latest innovations and solutions in the food automation industry – from cutting-edge in-house kitchen gadgets to revolutionary cooking techniques.  The event sparked insightful discussions on current industry challenges, highlighting the collaborative spirit driving culinary innovation forward. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a day filled with learning, networking, and inspiration.  Here's to many more successful events in the future!

Women in Robotics Boulder/Denver

by Laurie Linz

On June 12th, the Boulder/Denver chapter of Women in Robotics hosted a fun meetup at PickNik Robotics. The event brought together a diverse group of professionals, students, and enthusiasts, sharing their passion for robotics.

We are grateful to PickNik Robotics for hosting this event and to all the participants for making it a success. Events like these are crucial in fostering a supportive and dynamic community, and we look forward to more meetups in the future.

Leading Ladies

By Mufaro Mutanga

Representation matters and it is certainly refreshing to see women pursue their ideas in the world of robotics leading to establishing and leading enterprises. A glimpse into their stories shows that the journey is not without difficulty but conviction enabled them to push through barriers until finally finding success. 

Helen Greiner is a prominent figure in the field of robotics, best known as the co-founder of iRobot Corporation. The company originated from MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab. iRobot is best known for the Roomba, a revolutionary autonomous vacuum cleaner introduced in 2002. The Roomba brought practical robotics into millions of homes, showcasing the potential of consumer robotics. Under Greiner's leadership, iRobot grew into a leading robotics company, selling millions of units worldwide and proving the commercial viability of consumer and service robots.

Resource Corner

by Sonia Roberts

https://engineeringmedia.com/books 

Maybe you’ve never taken a class in control theory, or maybe it’s just been a long time since college and you’ve been focused on other things. This 100% free-as-in-lunch eBook by Brian Douglas is an intuitive overview of some of the most important ideas in control theory. It’s gentle enough for an undergrad to read on her own, but with useful enough examples for seasoned engineers in need of a conceptual refresher. 

Industry News

Upcoming Events

International Women in Engineering Day - June 23

Celebrate the achievements of women in engineering worldwide on June 23rd! This day recognizes the vital contributions of women engineers and aims to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in engineering.

Women's Strike 2024 - June 24

Join the global movement on June 24th for Women's Strike, advocating for gender equality and women's rights. This day serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and justice.

Noteworthy News

Stay updated with the latest developments in robotics and women in tech:

• A four-stage approach for hiring women on your engineering team

• Aquaai co-founder and CEO Liane Thompson leads underwater robotics startup aimed at understanding our oceans 

• Yasmin Al Enazi recognized as one of the Top 10 Women in Robotics by the International Federation of Robotics

• Isabelle Ormerod chats with Clair Asher on the Robot Talk Podcast about her research and Women in Robotics 

• Jasmine Lawrence on How We Can Increase Girl’s Participation in Engineering and Robotics 

• 11 Inventions You DIdn’t Know Women Had a Hand In Making

Special thanks to Sonia Roberts, Sue Keay, Mufaro Mutanga, Revati Naik, Stephanie Garcia, and Laurie Linz for their contributions to this newsletter!

In 2023, Women in Robotics launched a Scholarship Fund on Bold.org to commemorate Joanne Pransky (1959-2023) and her passion for science fiction and women in robotics. Joanne billed herself as the ‘word’s first robot psychiatrist’ and Isaac Asimov himself called her the real life Susan Calvin. Robin Murphy shared an obituary for Joanne on Robohub.org.

Inaugural Joanne Pransky Scholarship Winners

Scholarship applications opened at the end of 2023 with the goal of contributing to the college expenses of three women who were interested in robotics. We set a fundraising target of $10,000, primarily from friends and family, to enable us to fund an ongoing award. We were thrilled to receive an additional $20,000 from the Engelberger Foundation. Joanne would have been delighted!

Contribute to the Scholarship Fund

Applications closed on Feb 29, with 172 entries. It was tough narrowing it down to only 3 winners, when there were a number of great applications and so we hope to also provide awards to some of the runners up.

The judging criteria

The selection criteria, aside from interest in robotics, were ambition, drive and impact. And writing a short science fiction story, or essay about the challenges or opportunities of robotics in the near future, in honor of Joanne’s passion for sci-fi.

For ambition, we looked at the awareness of the robotics field and goals within it. For drive, we considered the difficulties overcome, ie. being neurodivergent, first generation college or low income. For impact, we looked at how much the applicant gave back to the community, as a role model. And of course, the impact that their story or essay had on the judges.

More about the winners

Quynh Anh Le has started a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering at Lehigh University. Her passion is to use her engineering skills to positively impact the medical world. During high school she discovered robotics with her competition team GART 6520 and fell in love with the potential for robotics to solve real world problems, like the assisting the aging population and improving medical technology.

Mariana Cruz-Gonzalez is a first generation and low income student who had to move three times during high school due to the pandemic. During this time she participated in three FIRST robotics teams, TEXplosion (FRC), Rouse Raider Robotics (FRC), and Techno Inferno (FTC), and started taking dual credit courses at Austin Community College.

I am currently at ACC working on an Associates in Creative Writing and General Engineering. I have great hopes in transferring into a Mechatronics, Robotics, or Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's program in Texas.

Mariana consider both engineering and writing to be acts of creativity, working together and used her sci-fi story to explore the viewpoint of an engineering class experiencing some of the safety and ethical issues in new technologies.

Isle Vaughn is doing a Bachelors in Biomedical/Medical Engineering at the University of North Texas and is a passionate human rights advocate as well. As a queer person with autism, and also a transman in Texas, whose goal is to make prosthetics and help people dealing with limb loss. Isle wrote an essay about identity and how we determine what is and isn’t human, and what is and isn’t an alien or a robot.

More About the Winners

Future Plans for Women in Robotics Fund

Firstly, we will reopen the Joanne Pransky Scholarship to make awards to the runners up, although it’s going to be open to any entrant. Next season (2024/25) we will increase the number of prizes available, as once we can’t change live scholarships.

We’ve also created a great judge and advisory panel, who might decide that an additional Joanne Pransky summer scholarship for undergraduates, masters or PhD students would be a good complement to the initial Joanne Pransky Scholarship aimed at juniors, seniors and first year college students.

Dear Women in Robotics Community,

I am delighted to connect with you through the pages of our quarterly newsletter. As we reflect on the remarkable journey of 2023, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the incredible accomplishments and milestones we have achieved together.

In 2023, we embarked on several initiatives aimed at empowering and supporting women in the field of robotics. One such milestone was establishing the Women in Robotics Scholarship fund through bold.org. I am thrilled to share that we have raised an impressive $30,100 for this fund, marking a significant step towards our goal of fostering inclusivity and diversity in robotics. The inaugural Joanne Pransky Scholarship has garnered an overwhelming response, with 127 entries received. I eagerly anticipate announcing the 12 finalists and 3 winners on March 31st, a testament to the talent and dedication within our community.

We celebrated a momentous occasion in October with our inaugural International Women in Robotics Day. This special day served as a platform to honor and celebrate the achievements of women in robotics and highlight their invaluable contributions to the field. We proudly announced our annual list of "50 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About," showcasing the incredible talent and innovation driving our community forward.

Our community has continued to grow and flourish, with 2,311 users and 19 chapters established worldwide. Throughout the year, we hosted a series of engaging events and gatherings to foster connections and collaboration. From virtual meetings to local community get-togethers, our events provided opportunities for learning, networking, and celebration. I am particularly pleased to see the growth and engagement within our Slack community, which has emerged as a vibrant hub for collaboration and communication. In 2023, our Slack community experienced a remarkable 20% growth, with our most active week seeing 293 members checking in. Behind the scenes, countless connections are being forged, with 5760 direct messages exchanged, underscoring the strength and unity of our community.

As we look ahead to the future, let us continue to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in robotics. Together, we have the power to shape a more inclusive and innovative future for all. I am immensely proud to stand alongside each and every one of you as we strive towards our shared vision of a more equitable and inclusive robotics community.

Thank you for your unwavering dedication, passion, and commitment to advancing women in robotics. Your contributions are truly invaluable, and I am honored to be a part of this incredible journey with you.

With warmest regards,

Andra Keay

President, Women in Robotics

Member Spotlight: Sonali Deshpande

Join us as we explore the remarkable career of Sonali Deshpande, a seasoned robotics professional, from their formative years in Electrical Engineering to their current role at Relay Robotics. Discover their insights into navigating the complexities of service robots and advocating for greater gender diversity in the field.

What is your background?

 I come from an Electrical Engineering background and then did my Masters in Robotics from The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon. Since I graduated, I've worked on self driving cars for General Motors R&D, the adorable home robot Kuri at Mayfield Robotics, and most recently on Relay, a service robot for hotels and hospitals, at Relay Robotics

How did you get into robotics?

When I was in undergrad, I stumbled across Andrew Ng's Machine Learning course in the early days of Coursera. I was hooked. I talked to a professor I looked up to and asked him if there was any field that would allow me to combine Machine Learning with Control Systems, which was my favorite field at the time. He pointed me to Robotics and Intelligent Control (Reinforcement learning wasn't a big thing back then). That got me to apply to several robotics programs for grad school and when I got accepted into the Robotics Institute, my trajectory was set. Once I got a taste of robotics, there was no looking back. I never ended up doing work that focused on combining ML and control systems but I'm very grateful that it got me into robotics.

What do you currently do in robotics?

For the last five years I have been working for Relay Robotics, formerly Savioke, a spin off of Willow Garage. We build robots that do room service at hotels and relieve some of the stress of overworked staff at hospitals by doing autonomous delivery of medicines and other items. I work in particular on the navigation pipeline of our robot, Relay. That includes sensor selection and processing, perception, path planning, localization and mapping.

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about robotics?

I love how Robotics can be both very challenging and very rewarding. The multidisciplinary nature of it and the need for it to exist in and interact with the chaos of the physical world means that making something work, and not just work but work well consistently and reliably can be very challenging. But when that does happen, it's great to see the joy and the value it can bring to people. As an engineer, I thrive on both the challenge and the reward.

My least favorite thing about robotics is how underrepresented women are in the field. I find that I'm often the only woman in the room and that really needs to change.

What excites you the most about the future of robotics?

In the beginning of my career, it seemed like it would take a long time for Robotics to mature to the point where they can add real value to the world. But in just a few short years, many different branches of work in AI and robotics have gained momentum and are crossing the threshold of being able to add major positive value to the world. Even at Relay, I often witness how much understaffed and overworked hospital teams come to rely on our robots to reduce their workload. Warehouse robots are thriving. Self driving cars are slowly starting to scale. And foundation models have revolutionized AI and made it accessible to everyone. And this is just the beginning. I'm excited to see where this goes and to contribute to its unfolding.

Describe something that you do (or would like to do) to help support younger women in robotics?

It's difficult, early in your career, to have a strong voice and stand up for yourself. And to know that your perspective is valuable to others, even if you  struggle to see its value. I'd like to be someone who can encourage young women to be confident and as cliche as it is, to believe in themselves. And know that it's okay to ask for what you want. Often, that is all it takes.

Event Highlights

Bay Area

by Revait Naik

Spotlight event: Robotics Over Coffee, March 14, 2024

On the evening of March 14th, 2024, Philz Coffee in Sunnyvale witnessed a buzz of excitement as women in the Bay Area robotics community gathered for an enriching event - Robotics Over Coffee. Hosted by the Women in Robotics Bay Area chapter, this event provided a unique networking opportunity, bringing together 22 women from various facets of the robotics landscape.

The attendees represented a diverse spectrum within the field, ranging from early graduate students eager to delve deeper into robotics education, to seasoned roboticists from the industry, and even retired tech professionals keen on exploring the dynamic world of robotics. As the event kicked off, introductions flowed, each participant sharing insights into their work alongside delightful anecdotes, fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie and personal connection.

"I feel proud to be able to be part of this group. This is a great opportunity to network and meet like-minded people," remarked Mavis Incialan, a Technology Program Manager, ITIL, COBIT, encapsulating the sentiment of empowerment and belonging that permeated the gathering.

Isabella Morales, coming from a manufacturing engineering background shared her perspective, expressing, "Feels optimistic and excited to be here," echoing the overall sense of enthusiasm.

The event's success underscored the significance of creating spaces where women in robotics can come together, exchange ideas, and forge meaningful connections. Such gatherings not only facilitate professional growth but also serve as a source of inspiration and motivation, reinforcing the belief that one is not navigating their journey alone.

In a field often perceived as male-dominated, initiatives like Robotics Over Coffee play a pivotal role in breaking down barriers, fostering inclusivity, and amplifying the voices of women in robotics. As we reflect on the enriching interactions and insights shared during this event, we look forward to hosting more such gatherings in the future, fueling the momentum of empowerment and collaboration within the women in robotics community.

Let's continue to build, connect, and inspire together as we pave the way for a more diverse and vibrant future in robotics.

Boston

by Colleen Anderson

Spotlight event: Women in Robotics Meetup Boston: March 12, 2024

 Women in Robotics Boston Chapter enjoyed a great meetup on March 12th! It was a pleasure connecting with so many women and hearing from great leaders and role models, Oli Qirko from Cambridge Consultants and Michal Preminger from Johnson & Johnson Innovation, East North America. 

Special appreciation to Cambridge Consultants for sponsoring the event.

UK 

by Yael Zekaria

Spotlight event: Headshots & Bots: Sept 21, 2023

Our first event in Scotland, bringing the sellout Headshots & Bots event we ran in Bristol to Edinburgh! Attendees received free, creative headshots for use across their professional platforms as well as the opportunity to network and have a tour of the National Robotarium.

Spotlight event: Fantastic Careers and how to find them: Oct 19,2023

An evening at Bristol’s innovation hub, The Engine Shed to launch the Career Atlas project, a collaborative and interactive career journey mapping initiative. This event also promoted women at different stages in their robotics careers in industry and academia in an insightful panel discussion on diverse career journeys and the key decision points and influences that shape them

Upcoming

We have more exciting events coming up this year. Remember to check our website at womeninrobotics.org for events, it’s constantly updated!

Resource Corner

by Sonia Roberts

New to robotics, and want to build fundamental skills in electronics? Always meant to learn more about electronics, but never got around to doing it? Knowing how to build and debug basic circuits can be incredibly helpful for any roboticist. MIT has a free three-course sequence on EdX in basic electronics which has a lot of applications relevant to robotics (optional paid upgrade).

Industry News

From innovative technologies to notable collaborations, regulatory updates, and market insights, we keep you informed about the dynamic landscape of robotics.

• NVIDIA Announces Project GR00T Foundation Model for Humanoid Robots and Major Isaac Robotics Platform Update

• ROSCon 2024 Call for Proposals

• Announcing the 2024 Waymo Open Dataset Challenges

• Open Robotics Launches the Open Source Robotics Alliance

Special thanks to Revait Naik, Sonia Roberts, Colleen Anderson, and Yael Zekaria for their contributions to this newsletter!

Since 2012, the Women in Robotics organization has released a list of women building the future in robotics. The list has covered all ages, career stages, types of occupation and experience. We’ve featured more than 350 women already and we’ve shown that women have always been working in the robotics industry, in the earliest robotics research labs and companies, although those stories have often been forgotten.

This year’s collection includes Nancy Cornelius, co-founder of Boston Dynamics and the first engineer hired. Cornelius remained an integral part of Boston Dynamics until the company was sold to Google in 2013. Vandi Verma is the head of NASA’s rover (robot) program. Joanna Buttler is the head of the Global Autonomous Technology Group for Daimler Truck. And Whitney Rockley founded a venture capital company investing exclusively in ‘industrial internet’ companies like Clearpath Robotics.

For the first time, we feature an Indigenous (Ojibwe) American roboticist, Danielle Boyer. Boyer started a non-profit The STEAM Connection to combat the difficulties that many kids have getting access to robotics. She created an affordable robot kit that’s been distributed to thousands of students, and is proudest of the SKOBOT project. Personalized robots that keep culture and language traditions alive. Boyer epitomizes the motto “Building the Future”.

We also try to feature women from all regions of the world and this year’s collection represents Nigeria, India, China, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Croatia, Korea, Denmark, Singapore, Italy, Romania, United States, Sweden, Spain, Canada, the UK, Israel, Austria, Belgium, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. There is an active Latinx community in Women in Robotics engaged in translating more robotics information into Spanish, hoping to create more connections between the global robotics community and the roboticists, and potential roboticists, of Latin America.

There have always been women doing great things in robotics! And we’re pleased to present another collection of strong female role models for young and upcoming roboticists (of any gender). 

You can also join in the Women in Robotics celebrations today and throughout October, with events listed on the women in robotics site, like Diversity Cocktails at the IROS conference in Detroit, or the launch of the Los Angeles women in robotics chapter. Women in Robotics is a global community organization for women and non-binary people working in robotics and those who’d like to work in robotics. Learn more at https://womeninrobotics.org

Join our events, host your own events, share our celebration on social media!

Joanne Pransky is an unusual participant in the leading edge of the robotics industry. That is, Service Robotics. With great good humor she professes to be the first robotics psychiatrist!

Joseph Engelberger, Father of Robotics

As ‘The World’s First Robot Psychiatrist’, modeled after Isaac Asimov’s Susan Calvin from the iRobot stories, Joanne brought the social side of robots to the forefront, long before robots were at all common. Not only did Joanne love robots in science fiction but she was at the forefront of the community developing social robots in real life.

She’s the very first Robopsychologist

Dr. Marvin Minsky, Co-founder / Artificial Intelligence

Joanne leaves us her collection of social robots which form the heart of the Museum of Robots at Silicon Valley Robotics and Circuit Launch 8000 Edgewater Dr Oakland. We continue to add to the collection of interesting robots and visitors are welcome.

Please share this post to help spread the word.

I know that Joanne’s death came as a shock to many of her friends. Joanne didn’t want people to know she was battling terminal brain cancer, particularly when the last ditch treatments made her ill. Joanne only wanted to share joy with people, not sadness, and she wanted people to remember her life, not her illness.

The SF Bay Area memorial service was very small, and if you missed it there will be another one in Boston on July 25th. I believe there is a remote participation option but please contact Sherry Barone to confirm. We also have a digital guest book on the Museum of Robots page if you’d like to leave a message.

Please share this information!

She’s the real Susan Calvin

Isaac Asimov

We held off on posting news about Joanne’s passing until her memorial scholarship had been set up. In the meantime, Prof Robin Murphy shared a beautiful remembrance on her website which was reposted on Robohub.org

Brian Heater, of Actuator and TechCrunch also shared stories of Joanne, (and was able to include the just launched scholarship info). And as he says,

“You can also learn more about Pransky in her own words on her YouTube channel, RobotMD. This bit from her TEDx talk, Robot on the Couch, seems to sum up her mission statement best:”

Robots can assist us and improve our lives in so many ways, but they will not experience the human condition. They will not get butterflies in their stomach from doing a TEDx talk. They will not feel euphoria from laughing so uncontrollably hard that they cry. They will not empathize with the human heartbreak that comes from losing a loved one.

Robots are not the same as us and we should not use the same terminology to characterize their responses. Attributing an expression such as artificial empathy to a machine may only lead to confusion and the assumption that machines emote like us, especially as our view of what is artificial, and what is real, becomes blurred. Humans learn empathy from other humans face to face.

Joanne Pransky 2021 TEDx talk ‘Robot on the Couch’

Women in Robotics Scholarship Fund in Celebration of Joanne Pransky

At the request of family and friends, Women in Robotics, has set up a scholarship fund to encourage more women to enter the field of robotics - across any discipline.

Contribute now

World’s First Achievements

• Pioneered the field of Robotic Psychiatry

• Dubbed by Isaac Asimov as the real Susan Calvin

• Co-Founder of the world’s first medical robotics journal

• Brought to the big screen (in the film, Ender’s Game) real users of worldwide robotic exoskeletons/prosthetics and surgical robots systems not yet commercialized

• Debuted an international robot on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show

• First female and non-engineer to sell industrial robots

• Obtained BattleBots first corporate sponsor

Learn more about Joanne Pransky

Read the submission