Yolanda: First Female Technician at ETH Zurich's Robotic Fabrication Lab

Yolanda Ziltener recently joined the technical team at ETH Zurich's Robotic Fabrication Lab – as the first woman in the technician team since the building opened in 2014. The position was advertised as part of the Women in Robotics initiative, with the explicit aim of bringing greater diversity to technical roles. The trained polymechanic brings industrial experience and precision with her – as well as a drive to make things that are useful to others.

Yolanda is a certified precision mechanic and is currently working in the RFL. Photo: NCCR DFAB

Yolanda did not end up in engineering by chance. At the age of seven, she bypassed the television timer by rewiring the cables. Her father –an engineer himself – was less angry more impressed, and guided her early on towards the technical field. "I love solving puzzles and seeing how everything comes into place," she says. The rest was decided by a trial apprenticeship: "I got to do some polishing and walked home with a big smile and black smudge on my face – and I knew: this is it." She completed her apprenticeship at a large company, specialising in polymechanics with a focus on assembly. It is a profession that requires explanation – in international contexts, colleagues would put "mechanical engineer" on their business cards. Yolanda has her own way of describing what she does: "I am a certified precision mechanic. I can manufacture anything from metal by machine – down to a thousandth of a millimetre."

New Languages, New Machines

Yolanda came across the RFL internship by chance: her former employer organised a company outing to the Arch Tech Lab at ETH Zurich, a colleague got to talking to the team – and the opportunity arose. She was already familiar with industrial robots from manufacturing. Using robots in architecture or research, however, was new territory. The idea behind it has long fascinated her: machines that support people in everyday life, stepping in where humans cannot or will not. At the RFL, she now works with ABB's GoFa robot, is learning new programming software, and operates at the intersection of robotics, architecture, and research. The new tools are a challenge. "For me, it feels like I'm suddenly speaking Spanish," she says of the unfamiliar programming languages. What helps is the confidence she has built through practical experience: she knows what machines can handle, and approaches unfamiliar equipment with less hesitation. When researchers come to her with questions, she welcomes the chance to work through them together.

Yolanda is exploring new programming software environments such as RobotStudio by ABB. Photo: NCCR DFAB

Making Something That Benefits Humanity

Alongside her internship, Yolanda is completing her International A-Levels. She is drawn to medical technology – a field that aligns with her core motivation: "I want to invent or build something that benefits humanity. Not through direct care, but through technology," she says. Her future is open, but the direction is clear.

Her hope for the industry is simple: “I hope that more women work in technical professions.” She believes that more women in the field wouldn’t just bring diversity, but also foster a more open and collaborative work culture. At the RFL, the previously all-male team has already noticed the impact of her presence: researchers behave differently when Yolanda is in the room. Although the team had already cultivated an inclusive atmosphere, the introduction of a woman appeared to further facilitate approachability and interaction. To achieve this in the long term, measures must be taken earlier on: even during training, it must be made clear that women in technical professions should not be a rarity.

About Women in Robotics

Women in Robotics is a global community supporting women and non-binary people who are interested in- or work in robotics as entrepreneurs, industry experts and academia. Their activities include local networking events, outreach, education, mentoring and the promotion of positive gender role models in the development and application of robotics.Women in Robotics started as a grassroots community to support gender positive actions in the global industry, and as a group who wanted to see more women colleagues thrive in technology roles. Get to know the network here.