WOMEN IN ROBOTICS GALA 2024

On October 26, 2024, MassRobotics hosted its 2nd annual Women in Robotics Medal Gala at MIT’s Samberg Center, honoring three visionary women in robotics: Prof. Cynthia Breazeal (MIT), recipient of the Robotics Medal for her pioneering work in social robotics, and Rising Stars Prof. Heather Culbertson (USC) for advancements in haptic technology and Prof. Josie Hughes (EPFL) for breakthroughs in soft robotics.

The gala highlighted MassRobotics' Jumpstart Fellowship, which introduces high school girls to engineering and robotics. Ruth Shiferaw, a former Jumpstart Fellow now studying at MIT, spoke on the transformative power of mentorship, sharing her journey from a student learning to solder and code to mentoring new Fellows. Her story embodied the evening’s theme of lifting up the next generation of women in robotics. With nominations for the 2025 awards open until December 20, the gala underscored the importance of community, mentorship, and fostering an inclusive future in robotics.

Read more here.

The Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst is an established program presented by MassRobotics in collaboration with Festo, Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Novanta, and MITRE. This program is designed to support healthcare robotics startups by offering comprehensive and valuable mentorship guidance, and essential resources to foster growth and success.

Learn more here.

MassRobotics in the news

• Check out Opteran's collaboration with the European Space Agency and Airbus - read more here
• Glidance Wins 2nd Place at the 2024 LG NOVA INNOFEST Pitch Competition! - read more here
• Congratulations to rStream for receiving a nearly $1M SBIR Phase II award from the National Science Foundation to advance its autonomous waste-sorting system - read more here

Upcoming Event

• Robotics in Age and Assistive Tech Event | Nov 18th, 2024 from 4pm - 7pm | Harvard SEAS The Age and Assistive Tech in Robotics event brings together healthcare and support agencies with researchers, innovators, and startups in the robotics field. We aim to collectively tackle challenges and drive advancements in healthcare and assistive technology, provide use cases that could lead to pilot programs, ultimately enhancing public well-being. Register here.
• The IEEE Humanoids Study Group is developing a report to guide standards for humanoid robotics and seeks input through a 12-question survey If you work with robotics, your insights are valuable. For more info, contact benjamin.beiter@nist.gov

What we are reading

• Sotheby’s to Auction First Artwork Made by a Humanoid Robot - read more here
• Feds clear way for EVTOL startups to bring flying vehicles to U.S. airspace - read more here
• Robotics And AI Could Transform Your Operations, And You're Not Ready - read more here
• Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo closes $5.6 billion funding round as robotaxi race heats up in the U.S. - read more here
• More American farms are turning to automation as labor shortages get worse - read more here
• A robot could do your next eye exam - read more here