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stem education

Empowering STEM Education and Research in the Americas: Elephant Robotics Introduces Integrated Educational Robotics Solutions

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STEM education has experienced rapid growth in recent years, driven by increasing demand for practical engineering skills, artificial intelligence literacy, and interdisciplinary innovation.

However, for schools, universities, and research laboratories, building effective robotics environments has long remained a challenge.

In many cases, instructors must integrate robotic arms, mobile platforms, sensors, and open-source software from multiple vendors, often spending weeks resolving compatibility issues before meaningful teaching or experimentation can begin. [Read more…] about Empowering STEM Education and Research in the Americas: Elephant Robotics Introduces Integrated Educational Robotics Solutions

Massachusetts awards $2 million to six local robotics companies

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Massachusetts’ Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Innovation Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), has awarded nearly $2 million through the Massachusetts Robotic Digital Twin Initiative to six organizations advancing robotics innovation across the state.

The funding will help accelerate commercialization pathways for robotics hardware developers by expanding access to digital twin technologies.

Digital twins, or virtual, data-driven replicas of physical robots, allow users to test robots virtually before deployment in real-world environments, reducing costs, improving safety and accelerating innovation. [Read more…] about Massachusetts awards $2 million to six local robotics companies

More than 2,000 students to compete in world’s largest rocket engineering competition

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ProtoSpace Mfg, a provider of rapid manufacturing for aerospace, defense, engineering, and research organizations, has announced its return as lead sponsor of the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) 2026, taking place June 15-20 at Midland International Air & Space Port in Midland, Texas.

Organized by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA), IREC is the world’s largest collegiate rocketry competition and one of the aerospace industry’s most important talent pipelines.

This year’s event will bring together more than 2,000 student engineers representing 175 university teams from over 20 countries across six continents. [Read more…] about More than 2,000 students to compete in world’s largest rocket engineering competition

Automation is Hiring Faster Than Schools Can Graduate Engineers

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Automation is no longer a future promise. It is a present-day hiring engine. Across factories, warehouses, energy grids, and research labs, companies are deploying robots and intelligent systems at a pace that demands a steady supply of skilled engineers.

The trouble is simple to state and hard to solve. The machines are arriving faster than the people who design, build, and maintain them.

This gap is not a temporary blip. It is a structural mismatch between what employers need and what the education system can deliver. Demand is compounding. Supply is moving in a straight line. When those two curves diverge, the result is a labor shortage that touches every corner of the technology economy. [Read more…] about Automation is Hiring Faster Than Schools Can Graduate Engineers

High-powered panel discussion: Why aren’t there more women in engineering?

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They say “Necessity is the mother of invention”, but that seems to be one of the only times in popular imagination that a female is associated with engineering, which is what invention almost always entails.

The truth is women engineers are few and far between, no matter which country we are talking about – throughout history and even today.

At present, they make up approximately 16 percent of UK engineers. In other words, the overwhelming majority of engineers in the UK – 84 per cent – are male.

That may or may not surprise some people, but it’s not something that sits well with the Royal Academy of Engineering, which hosted a panel discussion about the subject and debated what can be done to redress the imbalance. [Read more…] about High-powered panel discussion: Why aren’t there more women in engineering?

Swisslog Healthcare shows future engineers how automation advances hospitals

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Swisslog Healthcare, a leading supplier in transport and pharmacy automation solutions, invited University of Colorado Boulder students for an exclusive Reverse Interview Day tour at the company’s Technology Center.

Students interviewed Swisslog Healthcare professionals about their career journeys while touring facilities that showcase how robots and smart technology save lives in hospitals. The event took place on October 14, highlighting exciting technology careers students might not have considered.

Katherine Pickens McConnell, scholar in residence at CU Boulder Mechanical Engineering, says: “Visiting Swisslog Healthcare is a great opportunity to see engineering in action. [Read more…] about Swisslog Healthcare shows future engineers how automation advances hospitals

Opinion: Mechanical engineers and robotics form the basis of competing with China

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By Shaun Edwards, CTO and co-founder, Plus One Robotics

As it falters in its reshoring efforts against China, the US faces a clear obstacle: mechanical engineers.

According to the New York Times, the data are apparent, with China graduating more than 350,000 mechanical engineers each year, while the US lags behind with a mere 45,000.

This puts the US at a structural disadvantage because its ability to innovate is hindered by a lack of a skilled workforce. [Read more…] about Opinion: Mechanical engineers and robotics form the basis of competing with China