How do women navigate careers in robotics? What challenges and opportunities shape their journeys? These were the key questions at the latest Women in Robotics event, hosted by NCCR DFAB, where speakers shared their career paths and insights with fellow women in the field.

A new Digital Building Technologies centre opens in Mulegns, Switzerland. Led by the Origen Foundation, ETH Zurich, NCCR Digital Fabrication, and industry partners, it will showcase sustainable, innovative construction methods.

The NCCR DFAB spin-off, SAEKI, has secured $6.5M in seed funding to accelerate the development of its digital fabrication platform and to expand its business capabilities and operating model. This funding round marks a pivotal step in transforming cutting-edge research into market-ready technology.

Helen Oleynikova is a senior researcher at the Autonomous Systems Lab at ETH Zurich. When she started her research, she was often the only woman in the room. Over the years, she has witnessed a shift as more women enter the field of robotics. But while progress is being made, challenges remain.

Former researchers of the NCCR Digital Fabrication hold key positions in science and industry worldwide. Through our alumni video portraits, we showcase their journeys and explore how their experiences at NCCR DFAB continue to influence their work today.

Helen Oleynikova is a NCCR DFAB senior researcher at the Autonomous Systems Lab at ETH Zurich. Her research is focused on autonomous mapping and planning for collision avoidance on drones. Walking through the lab, she gestures at flying platforms, wheeled robots and robotic arms.

The Caschlatsch project has received the 2024 Norman Blank Prize. This project focuses on building a wooden frame structure at a historic site in the Grison Mountains. The structure combines traditional craftsmanship with robotic technology.

An MAS programme from the Block Research Group is about to start. After fifteen years of research and the latest applications in practice, participants in the MAS ETH CSD programme can now benefit from the experience of pioneers in sustainable construction.

NCCR DFAB alumna Yu Zhang will start as Assistant Professor of Architecture and Design at the University of Cambridge, UK, in the Department of Architecture on 1 December 2024.

As part of the ‘Women in Tech’ initiative of the Canton of Zurich, the FDP Women of the Canton of Zurich visited the Robotic Fabrication Lab. There were inputs from Prof. Dr. Vanessa Wood and Carmen Walker Späh.