Elena García Armada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elena García Armada
Elena García Armada in 2018
Born	1971 (1971) Valladolid, Spain
Education	Technical University of Madrid
Occupation	Engineer, roboticist

Elena García Armada is a brilliant Spanish engineer and roboticist. She was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1971. She is famous for creating the first robotic exoskeleton for children. This special suit helps kids who have conditions like spinal muscular atrophy to walk. In 2022, she won the European Inventor Award Popular Prize for her amazing work.

Early Life and Education

Elena García Armada was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1971. She loved learning about robots and engineering. In 2002, she earned her doctorate degree in robotic engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Her studies focused on making robots that could walk faster and more steadily in different places.

After her studies, Elena started working at the Center for Automation and Robotics (CAR) CSIC-UPM. Here, she focused on creating robots for industries. She also spent time learning more at the Leg Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.

Meeting Daniela and a New Goal

In 2009, Elena met a six-year-old girl named Daniela. Daniela had an accident that left her unable to move her arms and legs (this is called tetraplegia). Meeting Daniela made Elena realize something important: there were no robotic exoskeletons designed specifically for children.

This meeting inspired Elena to set a new goal. She decided to create robotic suits for kids. These exoskeletons would help children with injuries or muscle diseases to walk again. They would also help with their physical therapy.

Elena's Career in Robotics

Elena García Armada continues to work at the Center for Automation and Robotics (CSIC-UPM). She is a senior scientist and leads her own research team. Her team creates special artificial legs and four-legged robots. They also develop flexible artificial muscles.

The main goal of her team's research is to make walking robots work even better. They focus on how robot feet interact with the ground, creating new types of motors, and making robots more stable. They also design and control quick four-legged robots and exoskeletons that help people move.

In 2013, Elena co-founded a company called Marsi Bionics. This company grew out of her work at CAR. Marsi Bionics builds adjustable robotic exoskeletons for children. These suits have small motors that act like muscles, giving children the strength they need to walk.

Elena has shared her knowledge by writing many scientific articles and one book about how legged robots move. She is also part of the group that organizes the important IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

Awards and Honors

Elena García Armada has received many awards for her groundbreaking work:

• In 2020, Robohub, a website about robotics, named her one of the "30 women in robotics you need to know about."
• In 2021, she received the "Fermina Orduña" Technological Innovation Award from the Community of Madrid. She also received an Honorable Mention as Industrial Engineer of the Year from the College of Industrial Engineers of Madrid (COIIM).
• In 2022, she was awarded the Red Cross Gold Medal. She also received a Special Mention in the I UICM Professional Woman Awards and the "Better Capitalism Top Insiders 2022" Award from Business Insiders.
• In June 2022, she won the European Inventor Award Popular Prize. This award was given by the European Patent Office for her amazing design of a children's exoskeleton.
• In February 2023, Elena was given the special title of Doctor honoris causa by Miguel de Cervantes European University in Valladolid. This is an honorary degree.
• In March 2023, she received a "Premio Nacional de Discapacidad Reina Letizia" Research and Innovation Award from the Government of Spain's Ministry of Social Affairs (Spain). The Community of Madrid also honored her with a Technology Award for her talent and leadership.
• In July 2022, the Spanish Federation of Executive, Professional and Managerial Women (FEDEPE) recognized Elena with the Leadership Professional Woman Award.

See also

In Spanish: Elena García Armada para niños