Cassie Moreira was already very interested in robotics in high school. But she says she didn’t know a career was a possibility and instead thought it would remain just a hobby.
But when she graduated, she decided to apply for a position at Boston Dynamics, a robot-building company, even though she considered it a “long shot.” They took her.
Ask the Roboticist: Meet Cassie | Boston Dynamics
Answering a series of questions from curious youngsters, Moreira says in a five-minute video on Boston Dynamics’ YouTube channel that she tried everything in high school, including horticulture, graphic design and computer repair, and ended up fascinated by computer repair, which included a weekly robotics class.
Moreira also reveals what made her interested in robotics and how much time it takes to make a robot.
Turning to Spot, Boston Dynamics’ impressive dog-like robot, one wonders if humans have complete control over the talented four-legged friend. Assuaging those who fear a robot rebellion, Moreira replies, “Yeah, Spot doesn’t have a mind of his own. You have a controller where you can control the Spot directly, something like an Xbox controller, or you can program it to perform an autonomous mission. But all these things that you set up and define for Spot.”
Roboticist Cassie Moreira works at Boston Dynamics. Boston Dynamics
There are also some fun questions, like “Can Spot help me with my homework?” (sorry, no) and “Can I hit or run over a classmate with the robot?” (well, they’re trying to build cleverness into obstacle avoidance, so hopefully not).
Moreira also gives an exciting tidbit about Spot, revealing that while it’s currently focused on performing tasks in industrial environments like warehouses and other company facilities, the Boston Dynamics team would eventually like to adapt the robot for home environments as well.
The trained electrical engineer also has advice for anyone looking to start building their own robots and reveals what kind of people might be suited to a career in robotics.
Moreira wrote last year that she hopes more women will follow her into the field of robotics and related subjects, pointing to a study that found women make up only about a quarter of the science and engineering workforce, though in robotics that figure is about a fifth.
Hopefully, her recent talk with students will inspire more girls, as well as boys, to get involved in technology subjects and become the next generation of roboticists and engineers.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn