Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the robotics
and automation industry. This
program profiles Isabelle Tremblay,
an engineer specializing in the use of
robotics for space exploration;
Jessica Amsden, a robotics technician
who works in automated
manufacturing; and Cheryl Hyrnkiw,
owner-operator of Solarbotics, which produces
educational robot kits. View a preview video clip and
read below for descriptions of each segment, or scroll to the bottom to order!
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Isabelle Tremblay's robotics work has
taken her career to new heights—outer
space. Isabelle's fascination with the
unknown and science fiction was the
perfect backdrop for her current job.
Planets and space exploration have been
on her mind since she was a girl. That
curiosity has landed her a job as a robotics
engineer at the Canadian Space Agency.
Jobs in robotics and automation are opening up at warp speed. Along with
several different engineering-related careers, there are many positions
available that require a 2-year technical degree. Isabelle says some of the skills
needed for her job are curiosity, optimism and an interest in everything
technical and space related.
“I like to see the tangible result of my research
and to share my expertise with other researchers
through publications and conferences.” Along with
sharing her research knowledge, Isabelle also
shares her passion with robotics by enlightening
young women to the possibilities of a career in robotics."
In the future, Isabelle would love to participate in space mission experiments
using her knowledge and experience in robotics. Of course, we’re talking
on-site, in space.
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Jessica Amsden is a robotics technician for
E-One Moli Energy, a company that
produces lithium ion batteries, the kind
that recharge and have a longer life.
Jessica's pretty charged herself, doing
maintenance on the automated equipment
used to manufacture the batteries. She
also does project work, installing new
equipment and doing equipment modifications. Her job activities range from
simple mechanical servicing to using sophisticated software programs to
troubleshoot or update equipment. A typical day would find her at the
workbench or in the production area taking care of business.
Jessica was the first woman to ever graduate
from the Robotics and Automation program at
her technical institute since it began in the early
80s. Her advice to other women considering this
type of career is to stick with it. School is hard,
but it will pay off. “With robotics you get to focus
on more than one thing. You experience a whole
range of technological areas.”
Most of the over 650,000 robots installed worldwide have been used in
manufacturing. Typical applications are welding cars, spraying paint and loading
and unloading machines. These robots are mainly used by the automobile and
metal-manufacturing industries.
The technicians who work at E-One Moli Energy must be able to grasp a wide
spectrum of technologies - from cam driven mechanical systems to X-Rays
networked with Ethernet. There is also a huge array of specialized applications
for robotics technicians and technologists. Basically, it's the control of motion
and its properties that are common to most applications.
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Cheryl Hyrnkiw and her husband design
and manufacture robot kits, mostly for
educational purposes. Cheryl loves her
home-based robotics business because it's
an opportunity to always be at the
forefront of technology. And there are
always new toys to play with. Just check out her home. It's overrun with electronic
critters of all sorts.
“I love my job because it's constantly changing. Robotics is a fairly new field.
It's on the forefront of technology and there are always new things coming out
to play with.”
Cheryl's future plans are to take a step back from the day-to-day administrative
work of her business and get more into the hands-on technical work. She wants
the company to focus on research and find even more practical applications for
their robots.
Cheryl’s research could one day result in
robots that have a practical, useful
application that everyone can benefit from,
over and above the educational aspect and
fun her kits now provide. In the meantime,
she still enjoys bringing high tech robotics
into the lives of her customers, especially
the kids.
Some of the new product research Cheryl is doing could really explode. She is
currently working on developing robotic bomb disposal units and land mine
seek and destroy systems.
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
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Developed in 2006 in Canada, the Career Options for Women series is an
outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to Science,
Technology and Trades!
Please Note: These videos are an excellent depiction of women in these jobs
and are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are
similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on
these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the
DVD(s) you are ordering.
Pricing - Career Options for Women: Emerging Technologies DVDs
