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As Amazon unveils new technology, it is also proving to be a win for its employees. Vulcan At Amazon’s 2025 Delivering the Future event held May 6–7 in Dortmund, Germany, the company introduced the Vulcan, Amazon’s first robot with a sense of touch. Made possible by an artificial intelligence-powered sensor, it is the first of its kind and is able to use video rather than still images to monitor and control its motions, as noted by Aaron Parness, Amazon’s director of applied science in robotics and artificial intelligence. “We’re at the golden age for robotics. AI is allowing us to develop systems that can interact with the physical world and not just the ones on our screens,” Parness said during the Main Event held at Amazon’s Last Mile Innovation Center. Vulcan will be beneficial to its employees who are fulfilling orders for customers at the company’s facilities thanks to the robot’s ability to pick and stow away 75% of the items stored in the warehouses. “One of the really...
At an early age, Maseray S. Kamara understood the importance of healthcare. Now, she is contributing to the creation of quality care for patients. Her professional journey dates back to Woodbridge, VA where she was raised by parents from Sierra Leone, West Africa. They informed her of various family members , some impacted by sickle cell, which can cause pain, infections, and joint issues throughout the body, according to the National Institutes of Health. These early conversations profoundly influenced her passion for healthcare and the importance of improving access to it. She also credits a science project from her eighth-grade year surrounding heart rates as a pivotal moment in solidifying her career path. In 2008, Kamara’s interest in science led her to Princeton University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology. After that, she attended Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine to obtain a medical degree. She successfully completed her...
In 2003, J effrey B. Straubel, Elon Reeve Musk, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded Tesla – a company focused on the design, develop ment, manufacturing and sale of fully electric vehicles, energy generation and storage systems. In 2024, the automotive brand reported 140,473 employees and was ranked No. 58 on Forbes ‘ Global 2000 list, plus No. 68 on the outlet’s ranking of America’s Best Employers for Tech Workers. While Musk in particular has faced criticism for his leadership style in the past, Tesla’s net worth hasn’t taken the same hit as his other companies, such as Twitter/X ; recent estimates claim the South African’s stake in the latter is worth nearly 70% less than what he paid for it two years ago. As of Oct. 3, the price of a Tesla share is $243.81 according to Forbes. This is down 2.09%, or $5.21 and is a result of the company’s third-quarter deliveries missing expectations. 462,890 EVs were delivered in the three months before Sept. 30, while Wall Street...
NBA player Jaylen Brown was once labeled “too smart” to join the very league he would go on to earn a historic contract with. Athlon Sports reports Brown graduated Wheeler High School in Marietta, GA, at the top of his class. He accomplished this while excelling on the basketball court. He was a first team All-American and top-five national high school prospect, his NBA bio reads. Between 2015 and 2016, Brown continued his studies at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), while playing for its basketball team. However, he was not satisfied with the freshman courses they offered him, which were not challenging enough, The New York Times reports. He swapped out some of his classes to take on African American Studies, an upper-division class from the Global Poverty and Practice minors program, and a graduate course titled “Theoretical Foundations for the Cultural Studies of Sport and Education,” which he had learned about through Hashim Ali, co-founder of the Oakland...
University of Michigan (U-M) graduate Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi has made history! The Street Journal reports she has earned a Ph.D. in robotics, the first for a Black woman at the institution. Reflecting on her milestone and speaking in front of thousands of people during the university’s 2024 commencement ceremony, she said, “If you do not know me right now that is OK, but I want you to remember me as the University of Michigan’s first Black woman to get a Ph.D. in Robotics. We did it class of 2024. We can officially call ourselves Michigan engineers.” She later took to LinkedIn and commented further stating, “Speaking at Commencement was the experience of a lifetime! To receive a standing ovation from a crowd of over 70,000 people in the largest stadium in North America…. Oh how far have I ascended! That little girl with big dreams is not so little anymore. She has become a GIANT.” Dosunmu-Ogunbi’s road to her doctoral started in high school. She recalls being “fixated” on the “funny...
David C. Williams’ innovative spirit remained a driving force in his journey to overcome obstacles and significantly impact the tech space. The engineer was born in Dallas, TX, in what he describes as the “poorest corner of the city.” At an early age, he became an avid reader, consuming up to eight books a week at times, he says. Williams’ inquisitive nature was further fueled as he read more books , and he maintained this even in the face of adversity. He lost his home in a fire, and at the age of 8 his father died by suicide. “There’s a quote that Einstein has that says ‘innovation is born out of necessity.’ And when I combine that creativity that my parents started me off with and the hardships that were soon to follow, losing my dad or the house fire — just all sorts of things that went on — I never let go of the creativity,” Williams told AFROTECH™. He continued, “Many people who live or come from underserved communities have a lot of ingenuity. And I figured out that...
Promobot — the largest service robotics manufacturers in Northern and Eastern Europe — is offering $200,000 USD for an individual who is willing to forfeit the rights to their face and voice to spearhead the development of its next robot. Since making its first steps in 2013, according to the Russian company’s website, it has reportedly been most recognized for its production of humanoid robots such as the “Android-Robo-C,” an ambitious project which allowed individuals to purchase a customizable robot that can emulate the appearance of anyone. “Everyone will now be able to order a robot with any appearance—for professional or personal use,” said Aleksei Iuzhakov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Promobot, in a statement at the time, according to Newsweek.
Because Black girls have a passion for all things Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) too! The STEM field has been known to have limited spaces for women, specifically Black women. Now, one organization is making strides to change the narrative. The UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education, better known as C-STEM, has received an amazing gift to allow them to tap into the resources needed to introduce Black girls to engineering and robotics at a younger age. According to UC Davis, a $2.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation will now provide the organization with vital resources needed to equip participants with the skills that they need to excel in STEM throughout their communities, careers, and within their schools. The Ujima Girls in Robotics Leadership Project will be led by C-STEM Director and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Harry Cheng; assistant professor in the UC Davis School of Education, Faheemah Mustafaa;...