Did You Know? Marita Cheng: The Woman Engineering Change and Inspiring the Next Generation
Today’s world is shaped by rapid technological advancements, and leaders like Marita Cheng are at the forefront of this transformation. An engineer, entrepreneur, and champion for diversity in STEM, Cheng has dedicated her career to making robotics and artificial intelligence more accessible, while inspiring young women to break barriers in engineering. Let’s dive deeper to know more about her journey.
Starting Small But With Dreams of Making Global Impacts
Born and raised in Cairns, Australia, Marita Cheng grew up in a single-parent household, witnessing her mother’s hard work as an immigrant and hotel cleaner. Despite financial hardships, Cheng’s curiosity and passion for technology flourished. She was encouraged to explore science and mathematics, eventually earning a place at the University of Melbourne.
Recognising the gender disparity in STEM fields, Cheng took steps toward addressing the issue. She recognised the distinct lack of women in the engineering field in her first week of lectures at university, wondering
“Hang on, why’s the lecture starting? Not everybody’s here yet. There’s only one girl here”.
She continues,
“By the end of my first semester, I realised there were five girls in my degree out of 50 in total”.
It bothered her to see so less women representation in this field and in 2008 she embarked on changing it. She founded Robogals, an international organisation dedicated to encouraging young women to pursue engineering and technology careers. What started as a small initiative at her university grew into a global movement, impacting tens of thousands of students across multiple countries.
Despite her success, Cheng faced significant obstacles.
As a young woman in a male-dominated field, she often found herself underestimated. She recalls that people didn’t take her seriously, being just a university student. Scaling Robogals internationally came with challenges too – building an organisation across multiple countries required navigating cultural differences and logistical hurdles. Cheng overcame these difficulties, proving that determination and vision can indeed turn challenges into opportunities.
Engineering for Social Good
Marita Cheng also believed in using technology for driving inclusiveness and founded Aubot, a robotics company that designs assistive technologies to improve lives. One of Aubot’s notable creations is Teleport, a telepresence robot that enables people with mobility impairments to attend school or work remotely, fostering greater independence.
She has worked on AI-driven applications for the visually impaired and developed bionic arms using advanced robotics, demonstrating her commitment to engineering solutions that empower people with disabilities.
A Role Model for Women in STEM
Cheng’s advocacy work has made a profound impact on the global STEM community. Through Robogals, she has reached over 100,000 young women, breaking stereotypes and opening doors for future generations;
“I think girls really want to make a difference…(but) they see it as an environment that isn’t friendly to women. They see it as an environment that doesn’t have many women”.
She has been a vocal advocate for diversity in tech, emphasising the importance of inclusivity in innovation;
“even women who are true believers and really hang in there because they love their profession… it gets to be too much when you’re the only person of a certain description in your office…nobody understands you, and the environment is inflexible”
The Legacy of Marita Cheng
Her contributions have earned her widespread recognition. In 2012, she was named Young Australian of the Year, and she has since been featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and recognised as one of the most influential engineers in Australia.
Whether through pioneering robotics solutions, championing women in STEM, or pushing the boundaries of AI for social good, Marita Cheng redefined what was possible. Her story serves as an inspiration, reminding us that technology can and should be a force for empowerment and inclusion.
– Written by Elodie Whyte for Spring ACT
