Women Groundbreakers in STEM
Women have helped shape various fields throughout history, and their contributions have led to countless innovations. Today, women groundbreakers in the sciences continue to make a significant impact in their respective communities. Take Lulu Copeland, for example, who currently serves as an advisor for the engineering programs of Bryan College in Tennessee and helped establish the Society of Women Engineers student group. Her work has been indispensable in encouraging more women to enter engineering fields.
Women have also made their mark in more specific fields like robotics. The robotics market is projected to reach $50.80 billion in 2025, and this steady growth is thanks in part to the contributions of women who helped shape the field throughout the years. Below, we look at some notable women who have made significant contributions to robotics throughout its history.
NOTABLE WOMEN IN ROBOTICS
Ada Lovelace and the world’s first computer program
In 1843, English mathematician Ada Lovelace—mentored by the father of computers, Charles Babbage—wrote about the potential of the early mechanical computer to be programmed to follow instructions. Her insights about Babbage’s machine became generally accepted as the very first algorithm meant to be processed by a computer. Lovelace’s contributions laid the groundwork for understanding algorithms, which are at the heart of robotics, paving the way for the development of computers in ways previously considered impossible.
Margaret A. Boden’s work on Artificial Intelligence
AI is a widely adopted tool today, with a compound annual growth rate of 21.6% from 2022 to 2030. This growth can be attributed to the contributions made by the likes of Margaret A. Boden, a cognitive scientist who has dedicated her life to understanding and defining computational creativity, an AI subfield now being used in robotics so robots can better adapt to situations and generate solutions. She was also pivotal in the early discussions about the risks of AI.
Ruzena Bajcsy’s pioneering work in robotics
A recipient of the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science, Ruzena Bajcsy is known for innovating in robotics and computer vision. Bajcsy revolutionized robotic vision and sensing and created enhanced methods that optimize medical imaging. Her body of work focuses on machine perception, sensorimotor control, and machine learning, all of which play a significant role in the field of medical robotics.
SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT
Today, robotics has become more popular and ever-present in everyday life, with women at the forefront of its sustained development. In April last year, women organizers at a robotics competition helped promote the principles of robot-making and engineering development among students. In collaboration with McNeese University, Burton College of Education, the Calcasieu Parish School Board, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Region 5 Stem Center, the organizers set up an underwater robotics competition attended by over 100 kids across Southwest Louisiana, where participants were tasked with building robots from scratch that would be used to compete in various aquatic games and competitions.
Meanwhile, Tessa Lau, co-founder of the service robot company Dusty Robotics, continues to develop robot-powered machines that provide data-driven layouts at construction sites by leveraging building information modeling (BIM) software to automate manual workflows. Last year, Lau’s company launched the FieldPrint Platform, which uses the robotic component FieldPrinter to automate construction layout printing. It is a complete BIM-to-field solution that can accurately lay out building plans onto a construction site floor.
From the inception of the first computer program to the continued development of today’s modern robots, women have played a pivotal role in shaping robotics. Their contributions have laid the foundation for groundbreaking innovations in the years to come.
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Editor’s Note: If this article resonates with you, check out my STEM Women Study Guide
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