She Builds with AI: Women Shaping the Future

Robots You Can Wear: Making Technology Fashionable - With Maia Hirsch

• Season 1 • Episode 9

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What happens when you merge robotics with fashion? Maia Hirsch is answering that question with breathtaking creations like dresses that bloom open when you shake hands with the wearer. As a PhD student researching wearable robotics and human-robot interaction, Maia is part of a new generation of engineers infusing technology with creativity, empathy, and diverse perspectives.

Maia's fascinating journey spans continents and cultures – from growing up in Venezuela to studying in Israel and now pursuing her PhD in New York. This global perspective has shaped her unique approach to engineering, where she sees opportunity in combining seemingly opposite worlds. Her interactive garments aren't just technological marvels; they're conversation starters that challenge our expectations about what engineering can be and who belongs in that space.

Throughout our conversation, Maia shares how her multilingual background helps her collaborate across cultures, why she's passionate about inspiring young women in STEM, and her vision for the future of wearable technology. Rather than viewing AI and robotics as replacements for human capability, she sees them as extensions that can enhance our creativity and connections. From adaptive clothing that responds to our emotional states to fabrics that could revolutionize space exploration, Maia's optimistic vision centers on making technology that works with our bodies rather than against them.

Whether you're fascinated by fashion, technology, or the creative process, Maia's story will expand your understanding of what's possible when we break down artificial barriers between disciplines. Listen now to discover how "soft robotics" might transform our relationship with technology – and maybe even inspire you to explore new intersections in your own work.

Links Maia:

Links Julia: 

Speaker 1 (00:00)
Welcome to a new episode of She Builds with AI – Women Shaping the Future. This rebrand aims to better reflect what we're really about – spotlighting women who are building, innovating and pioneering not only in AI, but across the whole spectrum of emerging technologies, and focusing on the bigger picture of how technology is shaping the future and the women leading the change.

Today's guest is the perfect example. I'm speaking with Maia Hirsch a PhD student and researcher and creator at the intersection of wearable robotics and human-robot interaction. Her work explores how technology can move beyond problem solving into fashion, creativity and even space exploration. I found a statement on Maia's website

that I absolutely love. It goes: As more women join engineering fields, we are presented with an opportunity to explore new ways of doing things, infusing creativity, empathy, and diverse perspectives into innovation. We can inspire future generations to see engineering as a space where creativity flourishes, boundaries are pushed, and everyone has a place to create meaningful change.

This just perfectly outlines what we'll dive into in today's episode. A warm welcome, Maia.

Speaker 2 (01:26)
Thank you so much for having me, Julia. It's really an honor.

Speaker 1 (01:29)
So happy to have you today, Maia. I'm really looking forward to our conversation. Maia, your journey is fascinating from growing up in Venezuela with Jewish roots to living and studying in Israel and now pursuing your career in New York. That's such a rich mix of cultures and experiences. Would you mind giving us a bit of a deeper dive into your background

and has his global background shaped the way you think and work as an engineer and researcher?

Speaker 2 (01:58)
Sure. yes, as you said, it's a bit all over the place, actually all over the world. So I was born in Caracas in Venezuela. I grew up there until I was 13 years old. And my family, we decided to leave because it was very unsafe. There was a lot of political turmoil and instability. So we decided to leave for security issues. It was a very abrupt move.

I remember I was given two weeks to pack everything and we, I barely got to say bye to my friends in school. And we ended up going to Miami first. There I did middle school. So I did actually eighth grade and ninth grade. So that's the beginning of high school. I, for me, it was a very shocking move.

Especially not only because it was very quick, but also because I didn't know any English. So when I arrived in school, I was so lost. But the thing is that because of that, I actually got to put in a lot more effort and I actually started liking a lot more the science or the number subjects because those were the ones that I was able to understand.

have the English language, numbers were still the same. So I felt that I was good at those classes, so I better start putting more effort into them. And I think honestly, that was for me the moment, like the turning point of me being an engineer today. thanks for all, like thank you, Eve, for all of that. Today, I'm able to be an engineer and I'm able to work in robotics. So that was my first, I think.

a rough situation or like this situation where I found myself that was the most difficult. After two years, my parents found a job in Panama and so we ended up moving again. I ended up doing high school in Panama. That's where I finished. It was going back to Spanish, so that was also another change again. And after finishing high school in Panama, I knew that I couldn't stay in Panama because I was not a citizen and it was going to be.

practically impossible to be an engineer. So I decided to go study in Israel because I had family there and I was familiar with the culture. Education is public, so it was free. I wasn't going to have problems with loans or debts like in the US. And so, and also I really wanted to go to the university that I ended up going into. So basically what I was saying was if I get in, I'll just go. I got in

and it was honestly an amazing experience. I can't say it was easy. It was extremely hard, but it gave me a different mindset in a lot of things. Israeli culture is very different. They're very tough and they're very straightforward. And I feel like I needed that big shake in my life. So today I'm able to basically go wherever and I will figure it out. So I was able to move in all of these different

to all these different countries and deal with all these different languages and societies. Now I get to the point where I'm like, I can literally go anywhere. I can pack my things in five days and just go wherever I need to go. And I know I'll survive. It has also helped me a lot for my work because it has helped me build so much resilience and this idea that

It doesn't matter how challenging things are. Whenever I have a problem with a project that I'm working on, then I know that it's okay, I'll have the tools to work through it. I'm also able to work with people from different backgrounds, different cultures, because I feel like all these moves have opened my mind so much. And usually people that come from different backgrounds, have learned.

have way better ideas when they're working together, they're way more creative. So I think that also shapes a lot of what I do and the journey that I'm going through right now.

Speaker 1 (05:32)
Thank you so much, Maia. Super, super interesting. All the experiences you had just like made you stronger, made you more resilient, as you mentioned, and just like shaped you into the woman that you are today, which is amazing.

You're fluent in Spanish, English and Hebrew, I hope I'm correct.

Which already shows how adaptable you are across cultures. Speaking those different languages do you feel that language and culture have influenced how you collaborate in the international research environment or even how you approach problem solving in your work? You mentioned it a bit before, anything you would like to add here?

Speaker 2 (06:10)
Spanish for me, it's like the language where I'm more like warm, where I feel like I talk more warmly and I'm more cozy and also more expressive. I feel like the Spanish language is way more expressive. sometimes it's hard to convey emotions when I'm using English versus when I'm using Spanish. It's a thing that yes, Latinos, we are very loud and expressive people.

I think that's a really good thing when it comes to creativity though. So for sure, the language has helped me also connect with people that I work with, especially in the US, there's a lot of people that come from Latin America and it's very nice when people are like, you also speak Spanish, that's great. And then it's easier to just work together. English has been one of the most useful languages to be honest. And I mean, I think that's for everyone because it's the common ground that I have with

absolutely everyone and it has opened all the doors for me for research. So definitely, English for me was the key component to everything. And about Hebrew, it's still so hard for me. I know how to read and write in Hebrew, but the actual words are still super, super hard. But I manage, it's honestly very nice because there aren't a lot of Israelis in the world. So whenever I hear someone speaking Hebrew, I'm like,

my God, can like they're from there and I instantly have a connection. actually three of the professors that work in my department are Israelis. So I have like a closer connection with them just because even though I'm not there, I kind of know what they went through. And I believe two out of the three, we actually went to the same university. It's instant connection. And that has definitely opened a lot of doors and

Again, it's this understanding of different languages and the different cultures and the different expressions that has also helped me keep an open mind. As in sometimes when I'm working, I work with international people most of the time. It's because it's the environment at the university that I'm in right now. I understand a lot of, sometimes I laugh a lot because I understand that sometimes they translate literal things and they just don't sound well.

But because I know many languages, I'm like, I understand. It's OK. I'm not going to get offended. You're good.

That's a common thing, but I just think it's funny. I'm just like, whatever.

Speaker 1 (08:23)
When you try to translate like sayings or something, It happens to me with the German like a lot when I try to literally translate something doesn't work. No, it sounds wrong.

Speaker 2 (08:27)
It doesn't sound

⁓

Speaker 1 (08:36)
Amazing. But it's so cool that you speak those different languages and You can really connect with everybody with Spanish and English The world is your oyster. And Hebrew, Hebrew is also really exciting.

Speaker 2 (08:44)
Yes.

there's like this secret language that nobody really knows and then people are like, my God, how can you understand those letters? They're so weird.

Speaker 1 (08:59)
Exactly, I just dive into whole different language system. I studied Chinese at university, same thing. But it just gives you whole different feel of another language, the logic behind how the symbols are created. That's really cool. Nice.

Speaker 2 (09:16)
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (09:17)
For those of us who are deep in robotics, can you walk us through your PhD focus in simple terms? I know it's centered on wearable robotics for spacesuits and human-robot interaction, but how would you explain what that actually looks like day to day?

Speaker 2 (09:35)
Okay, so first off, I'm actually, feel like this is the case for most people that go into a PhD program. They think they're going to do something and then because it's a very long program, they end up doing something else. As in people change their minds throughout the program. It's usually four to six years, the programs. So it's expected that people will want to change directions at some point. My idea of what I think I want to do.

⁓ is I would love to work, definitely, I'm getting a PhD in robotics, so I have to stay within that field. I'd love to work in wearable robotics, as in smart machines that you can put on your body. Not necessarily I want to focus on accessories. I want to dive deeper into fabrics or soft surfaces that go on the body, because, I mean, how many accessories can you actually have? We already have a watch, like people have a watch, they have probably some...

belt, but I feel like there's so much area that hasn't been covered that's the part of like the fabric. And the cool thing about fabrics is that you can put them in places that move and that bend, which is not the case for accessories. That's why you have them in rigid areas of the body. And so I want to work on wearable systems and I want to work on the human robot interaction design, as in we are building all these things for

people for humans, not machines. And I think that that's usually overlooked on the engineering side where engineers just develop machines that solve people's problems, but they don't focus on the word people. They focus on the world problem and they just get a solution. But at the end of the day, humans that are actually going to use these tools and these solutions. And I want to focus on that. Like, how do you design a product? How do you design something?

that a person will want to use. They'll feel comfortable using. They'll feel excited about it. That's basically my idea. What I would like to focus on is there's a big gap between fabrics like sensors. There's a lot of people working on sensors or force ⁓ output mechanisms, as in like, how do I make someone feel something like touch?

For example, that's called haptics. So the haptics world talks about having people feel things that are just creative. They are not actual someone else touching you. It's just mimicking the sensation. There's a lot of people working on these methods and or sensing and collecting data from your body. The problem is usually rigid devices. So you can't really put them on places where you move or they're bent. They bend or

places that are squishy. And that's where fabric comes in. But whenever people put sensors or actuators in fabrics, the problem is that fabrics are either too loose, as in they lose contact with your skin, or too tight, as in they don't actually get good readings because they're just way too tight to your body and there's not enough space for them to actually do anything. And I want to work on that. I want to work on the fit of all of these devices.

There are a lot of applications for the medical industry, for the entertainment industry, think gaming and immersion in different worlds, but also for space exploration, which I think it's really cool to be able to work on all of this feeling of sensations, forces and collecting data with zero gravity. I mean, if we already think it's hard in Earth, it's way harder when you remove gravity from that equation. And I just find that it's...

super interesting. mean, a PhD is really about looking into things that nobody has had the time or energy or the will to just look into and try different things and see what works and doesn't work. I hope I explained it in more simple terms what I'm trying to do.

Speaker 1 (13:13)
Super interesting. Thank you for explaining. There's a lot of fear out there that robots will replace humans. But your work highlights the collaboration, designing technology that works with us rather than instead of us. How do you see that robot-human balance evolving over the next years?

Speaker 2 (13:32)
Okay, so I think that question of robots replacing humans has also been asked about AI replacing human intelligence. And in my perspective, I actually do not think of any of these things as replacement, but rather extensions Basically, I see these as collaboration or collaborative tools.

where we actually can just offload repetitive tasks and then enhance our creativity by letting us focus more or have more time doing creative things. So definitely, I don't think they're going to be able to replace humans. And that's why all my designs actually work in collaboration with these machines. So in most of the wearables that I've built,

like you need the person wearing this machine, but also there's usually an interaction with someone in front of the wearer that is not wearing anything that has nothing to do with the technology. And that not only brings together these two people, but it also brings them together through a robot or through an algorithm or through a machine. So I don't see robots even as, or like technology in general, even as something that will bring us, know, something that will divide us more and like,

isolate us more, I actually see it as an opportunity to bring us closer together just in different ways. Just because it's not familiar doesn't mean that it's wrong. It's just new. It takes a while for people to get used to things, but at the end of the day, we do adapt and sometimes it's for the better.

Speaker 1 (14:56)
True, true. I absolutely love your take on that. I feel like you have these two sides, like either people are completely scared and even too scared to try. And those people who just like are open minded and just like to explore and collaborate with it and using AI as an extension or robotics, whatever technology it is.

Speaker 2 (15:15)
I thought it was super interesting. So I started classes two days ago and I was very shocked. Professors are going over the syllabus, what the course is going to be about, all the policies. And I was very interested, like for me it was very interesting because of the three courses that I've attended so far, the three of them, like the three professors have actually allowed the use of AI in the classroom and for homework.

I was like, okay, I was not expecting that. But actually they explained why. I thought it was also very interesting that one professor even showed the statistics of how people do in the long term using AI versus not using AI. And statistically, you do actually learn more if you're not using it than if you are, but it's up to you. It's like, here are the, here's the data, here's the research. It's up to you. It depends on how you use it. Not necessarily you're using it the right way. You can still learn. It's just.

You can't just ask it for answers, but it's allowed to use. The only thing is you just have to say it. You just have to say, here's what I asked it for. This is the answer that I got. that's it. And you're allowed to use it. And even professors are saying, if Chat GPT or Claude or whatever you're using got the right answer, which maybe doesn't get the right answer because it's very mathematical. So maybe it doesn't get the right answer, but sometimes it does. The professors...

are encouraging students to please let them know. So they change the questions. Questions that are not easily answered by any AI. I thought it was very interesting that they're actually using this on kind of an experiment to see what can it answer, what can it not answer? How do we understand the questions? Because they understand that it's a super powerful tool, especially for students, and they don't wanna remove that. Just again, just.

We're not familiar, and people are not familiar with it, doesn't mean we have to be scared of it. We actually have to embrace it in some way. I just wanted to let you know about that, because I'm still in shock.

Speaker 1 (16:58)
Exactly.

I actually love that approach and I hope that schools and unis adapt to it because I don't think there's really a way of keeping students from of using AI in school.

because it's just there and it's at their fingertips and it's better just to give them the chance but just tell them be maybe even like challenge or question AI output and like enrich it with your own thoughts like it's a very very different approach.

Speaker 2 (17:27)
You still have schools that do not support the use of computers in the classroom. And I mean, where I studied in Panama, we couldn't use computers. But I studied in the US before I went to Panama, and I was using a computer for everything. And then I goes to high school and I'm like, what do mean I can't take notes in the computer? I didn't even bring a notebook. Like, what am I supposed to do now? And I had to talk to the principal and had to explain.

And the principal is like, OK, you can keep the computer as long as you keep a high grade. And I'm like, this is this like it takes a little bit. But at the end of the day, I think everyone gets there.

Speaker 1 (18:02)
Crazy, crazy. But you've also experienced both worlds now, so you appreciate it even more after it has been taken from you. So what I love is that you merge hardcore engineering with pure creativity, like your interactive dresses that bloom or respond to gestures.

What inspired you to bring together two worlds that usually feel so far apart? Fashion and robotics.

Speaker 2 (18:26)
⁓ A lot of things. So one is, one was my love for the two worlds. So ⁓ I was always a very arts kid since I was little. So I would always be doing crafts and I love how things looked pretty. I like shiny things. I still like shiny things. I really do. Yeah. But then again, as I told you that I started understanding numbers a lot more when I changed like when I had to switch languages

and I basically found myself in numbers. And then I ended up doing an engineering degree. While I was in college, I felt like I was missing something. I was in, okay, I had the scientific part, but I feel like I needed to reconnect with my artistic side. And then thankfully during my first year of engineering, I got an internship actually during COVID, because it was very complicated at the time. During COVID, I got an internship with a fashion designer and I was able to reconnect that part of my childhood.

that kind of kept me sane through all these changes that I've been through. And I was like, actually, I really like this, but I also like this other thing. And I'm like, is there a way that we could probably kind of have this two together? I felt engineering needed a little bit more of color and creativity somehow, but I also felt like the fashion industry needed a little bit more.

⁓ to be a representation of how far we've come as a society in terms of technology. Fashion is always shown as an expressive field, but I'm like, it doesn't really express how far we've come and how much technology has advanced. And I think that's a huge part of society. So I started thinking, is there any way to combine these two? When I started experimenting, my first experiments actually started during another internship. This one was an engineering internship.

in Cornell Tech. has a campus in upstate New York, that's where I am right now, but it has a campus in Manhattan. It's like four hours away. And I was in the Manhattan campus because that is a joint campus between the Tech Neon, my university in Israel, and Cornell in New York. And so I found an internship there for the summer of my junior year. And I was working in a lab. It was incredible. I loved the professor.

I, they had a space called the maker's piece and they were like, yeah, you can just come in and do whatever you want with this space. There's machines for everything and there's materials and they're free. you can just, if you have time, you can come in and then I would go to work. And then after I finished work, I would just spend all night at that place, just playing around with whatever they had. And they had a sewing machine and they had a mannequin and they had fabrics.

And they also had wires and controllers and had 3D printers. So I just started playing around and putting things together. That's when I said, okay, this is actually really cool. And I created my first dress that it was like a 3D printed kind of dress. And then I created a breathable dress using soft robotics and silicone that they have there. I was getting very creative there. And there was an exhibition and the person in charge

they saw that I was coming in every single night and I was just staying there until like 1 a.m. And this person approached me and was like, what are you working on? And she was super excited. She was like, I want to show this in the next exhibition. She's like, I know you're not a student here, but can we show your projects? And I was like, sure. And then a lot of people came to that exhibition and a lot of people were interested in this. I was like, OK, there's actually...

Like people haven't seen this before. I especially loved, and this is one of the things that also inspires me. I love the amount of little girls that were excited about this project because they just look so big and shiny and pretty. And the of girls that came to me and were like, I didn't even know this was a thing. And I'm like, no, it's not yet a thing.

the amount of people saying like, I wasn't sure if I wanted to study engineering and now I do. So it's that breaking of stereotypes and this bringing up of new ideas that really keeps me going. I actually love when people write to me on Instagram saying like, my God, I got so inspired. I'm not dropping out of engineering anymore because of you. Or I decided to go in engineering because I didn't know I could be like myself in an engineering. These are very male dominated fields.

So you don't really need fashion and engineering at all. So when I started doing these things, I was like, I don't care what other people think. I'm just going to do something that's different.

Really like the reaction of people really inspired me. I even got to teach so many guys in my school about fashion because they would stop by and be like, what are you working on? And then I'd be like, I'm making a dress. And they would be like, what are the wires for? And then I'm like, here's the thing. And then they would start asking questions about fabrics. And I even got to have a conversation with many of them about different fashion weeks.

Speaker 1 (22:57)
One more

Speaker 2 (23:10)
⁓ I really think it's amazing when you get people that have zero knowledge on our topic and you get to actually, you know, plant like a little seed. I also love it when people do it for me because I don't know a lot of things, like a lot of things. And I love it when people come to me and they're like, I'm going to show you something that you probably don't know about. So, yeah, I think that's the thing that really keeps me like inspired and keeps me going.

Speaker 1 (23:33)
Super awesome, super cool, like building bridges to not only young girls but also the boys. Guys interested in fashion, like both ways. It's like really cool. One of your viral pieces called Peace Offer reacts to something as human and intimate as a handshake. What's been the most surprising or moving reaction you've seen from people encountering your work at exhibitions? You mentioned a bit.

anything you'd like to add.

Speaker 2 (23:58)
So to be honest, I think the most surprising reaction to me was people asking me how much it was. super shocking because I was like, what do you mean? And they're like, yeah, yeah, like how much would it be to buy or rent? And I'm like, I don't know. It's not on sale. I don't know. That for me definitely was very shocking. And that was a

good indicator of, people actually like this. Otherwise, why would they ask Like this opened up also another field for me, which was how ready are people to actually adopt these new technologies? I actually just finished writing, like submitting a paper on it where we actually had a study of like, let's ask people, would you...

purchase this or how would you store it like in a closet So I think for me that was honestly the most surprising reaction because I was really not expecting people to be ready enough to say I want to purchase something like this and I would go to an event like this. Most of the people that was for renting which I thought was very interesting.

Mostly for red carpet events or photo shoots or even movies. lot of people from the performance industry, from ballets or theater, were also interested in this kind of wearables. I just think those were for me for sure the most surprising. I was not expecting at all to be a market for this.

Speaker 1 (25:18)
Bye.

Speaker 2 (25:18)
Yes, and after we run the studies of how ready are people, people are actually pretty ready still in the early stages though, and there's definitely a huge difference between generations. So the younger generations are more open, are the older generations, the more the weirder or the more scared they are of the technology.

Speaker 1 (25:37)
So cool. Nice. Okay. In fashion tech, a lot of attention goes to software Recommendation engines, digital fashion, AI styling apps. But you're doubling down on hardware and creating physical interactive garments. Why do you think hardware innovation is so critical for the future of fashion tech?

Speaker 2 (25:57)
I'm definitely a hardware person because I think that physical presence is not the same as virtual presence. Even, I mean, I guess most people notice it, for example, during Zoom meetings, it's not the same when you have a person in front of you versus when it's through a screen or through some kind of website or computer.

So I double down on hardware because I'm very pro of the physical world because feel like thankfully still that's where we spend most of our time. And there's a reason why there exist fields like, for example, the haptics field that really focuses on the recreation of human touch sensation because that's how our brains really work properly. We need to feel physical things.

in order to have a more emotional impact. That's why there exists things like touch therapy or massages. That's why people still get massages. That's why people get like hug each other. There's a stronger emotional reaction when there's physical things involved. So I feel like if we really want to have people feel comfortable or send messages, like for example, like with the stress that opens up when the wearer's hand is shaken, we really need

that physical visualization or that physical interaction. So that's why I really focus on the physical part.

Speaker 1 (27:15)
You also care deeply about inspiring the next generation, especially young girls in engineering. Why is that mission so personal to you and how do you see yourself as a role model for women and girls who want to enter STEM?

Speaker 2 (27:29)
Okay, so for me, it's really important because I didn't have anyone that looked like me when I was young except, I had my mom. my mom is an engineer. Yes, she studied engineering, but she never really worked as an engineer. So was kind of like, I have a role model to study it, but not to actually be one, like work as an engineer.

I felt like I couldn't find anyone that was working in industry or doing research that I felt identified with. There aren't a lot of women to this day in the engineering field. Like there aren't a lot of students and even less when you go to industry after you finish. And I felt like I needed to show the next generation that it was possible and that there are people doing it. And for me, that's what really drives me to

speak on social media and to tell people, here's what you should do, here's what you should study. And to show them that there's another way, because there's so many young girls that have come to me and told me like, oh, I don't think I want to do engineering because I don't want to be the only girl in the classroom. I stopped putting on makeup because I felt weird going to class. So for me, it was very important to kind of break that rule or break that stereotype or that image that people had.

because I understand how uncomfortable it can feel. And I wanted young girls to have someone to use as a reference. like, no, she does it, so I can do it too. It's fine. So definitely for me, that was huge. ⁓ Especially I learned about the impact that all of these things had. About two years ago, I was invited to the presidential palace in Panama by the first lady. first lady was running an initiative for women in STEM.

at the time, was 2023, if I'm not mistaken. And Panama was gonna be the headquarters for our World Robotics Competition that year. And she was like, oh, if we can just have you that you graduated here in Panama and you're studying mechanical engineering and you're focusing on robotics. And she's like, if we can inspire girls to do what, follow in your footsteps.

had an interview in the presidential palace and then I was able to share my story and it was broadcasted. I was so delighted when I got so many calls were like, my daughter wants to talk to you or like, can you have a Zoom meeting with me? I don't know what to do now. And for me, that was kind of like the moment I realized this is super important. And so was like, I need to start.

Speaker 1 (29:58)
huge.

Speaker 2 (30:00)
speaking out about my experiences, about where I'm coming from. So people I feel like that feel identified, can ask me questions or can, you know, look up to someone. I think that's so important, like to have someone to look up to or have as a mentor or as an advisor. So that's why I started it.

Speaker 1 (30:16)
Amazing. Such an awesome experience. Not only the broadcasting, but what happened afterwards like I was reaching.

Speaker 2 (30:23)
What happened afterwards because it had exactly it's like

Speaker 1 (30:26)
Huge like movement waves you created like the energy you put out there. Amazing. that must felt like so special. Really cool.

So let's play with imagination for a moment. If you could design a wearable that gave you a personal superpower, something beyond the current limits of tech, what would it be and why?

Speaker 2 (30:46)
Oof, oof, oof, okay, okay.

Speaker 1 (30:48)
Have fun.

Speaker 2 (30:49)
Have fun, I'm gonna have fun. So I actually thought of this and there's still, yeah, we don't have the technology for it yet, but I thought about this more than once. I would love to have a wearable that allows me to just like extend my hand and kind of like attract whatever I'm pointing at. Like, to be honest, I think, so I am what I call selectively lazy.

Speaker 1 (31:06)
The B-

Speaker 2 (31:13)
So I am not a lazy person for some things. So when it comes to my work, I'm not lazy. At the of my work, I'm like, I don't want to get out of bed. So I always thought like, if I can just extend my hand and like, you know, get the remote control or like get that glass of water, you know.

Speaker 1 (31:17)
the

Cheers!

Speaker 2 (31:33)
having fun. If I want to keep having fun, I would actually love some sort of version of the Iron Man soup. But I want it soft. I don't want it to be as rigid and heavy as it seems to be. And I would love it to have some kind of like safety mechanism if I fall. I kind of want it to like, you know, like, like be like an inflatable that I would just bounce somehow.

Speaker 1 (31:40)
I think that would be cool.

I

⁓ shi- ⁓

Speaker 2 (31:59)
Like a ball, it would just inflate and then just bounce. So I would actually feel like it's fun to fall.

I have a lot of ideas of things that I want but I don't know how we're gonna do. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (32:10)
it.

Speaker 2 (32:15)
classic

I watch so many Marvel and DC shows because they actually have great ideas.

Speaker 1 (32:25)
Yeah, I see, see. Really cool, really cool. There's like no way around it like the last years. No, you can't avoid it. For many. It's nice, really cool. So, and finally, if we fast forward 50 or even 100 years into the future, what role do you imagine wearable robotics will play? Will they be part of our everyday fashion?

Speaker 2 (32:34)
Time.

Speaker 1 (32:48)
essential tools for human life in space or maybe even reshape how we live all together.

Speaker 2 (32:53)
Ideally, in my ideal world, it would be something we would use on the daily, just as, I mean, 20 years ago, nobody had a smartwatch. Today, I feel most of the people I'm surrounded with wear a smartwatch. So it's something they use on the daily. I would ideally want clothing to be part of daily life for people.

how I see it, it'll be more like adaptive temperature clothing. So clothes that quickly adapt to different temperatures, to different environments, to different conditions, even clothing that adapts to mood or some kind of social cues. like if you feel at some point very stressed, could you lower your stress levels by sensations created through your clothes, either be that change in temperature, like sometimes people that feel warmer feel less stressed or

or if you like cozy or some sort of like hug sensation whenever you're in a stress meeting or something like that to help people, you know, feel better, be more productive, be more creative. Ideally, that's how I would see it. You have some sort of immersive technology where it's like, will we have smart glasses with AR VR like systems in them?

where we will be able to communicate with people across the world, would we be able to actually give a handshake to someone across the world, usually, but that feels that they're in the room with us. I think ideally that's where we will be. That's regarding daily life. Regarding space, that's a little bit, I think, more far-fetched because we don't really know how everything's going to turn out. But let's say if we can establish some sort of life on a different planet,

let's say we have like we actually build some kind of like an initial C of some sort. I always ask myself what kind of clothing are we going to have? It has to protect us from radiation, from temperature, there's all these different things that should be taken into consideration. And also like changes in gravity. I think this is super interesting, but again, that's very much far fetched. Like I feel like that's way less predictable.

I also think there's going be a lot of improvements hopefully for people with disabilities. like in the healthcare department, have all of the part. Hopefully our clothes will be able to monitor real time a lot of our biometrics and we'll be able to actually detect a lot of things faster, like at earlier stages than what we have right now, which right now we have really good technology. Like it has improved a lot, but I feel like next year it's actually going to get even better.

Especially if we can embed all of these tests to our daily wear that can monitor us so we don't have to go to a doctor like every time we don't feel well, we can basically just know that, ⁓ here's what we have and why we don't feel well, and that's it. Also, I feel like there's going to be a lot of improvement regarding ⁓ exoskeletons or like prostheses with people with like some kind of like physical disability. that's

huge part in robotics, like exoskeletons, it's a big deal. I feel like it's super exciting and there's gonna be lot of advancements because we're kind of trying to merge from solid hardware to a more soft hardware that is more malleable and like adapted to the body. And that's what's called soft robotics. I'm super interested about soft robotics. It's like making robots that are actually malleable

And they're more similar to how we are. So I think way more compatible for us to use on a daily basis or constantly. So I have a lot of faith in that. That's how I see the future in the next 50 to 100 years. I definitely have a very optimistic view of the future. Yes, you do.

Speaker 1 (36:13)
you

I love that. Thank you so much for that answer. That was super cool. That was such an inspiring conversation with you, Maia. I loved how you're redefining what engineering and robotics can mean from haptics in space to interactive dresses that make people smile. You're not only pushing technology forward, but also showing a new generation of women and girls that engineering is a place where creativity belongs.

If you enjoyed this episode of She Builds with AI, make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss future conversations with women who are shaping the future with AI and emerging technology. And if Maia's work inspired you, share this episode with a friend who could use that spark of creativity and vision. You'll also find all information like Maia's website and social media in the show notes. Make sure to follow her right away.

Until next time, keep building, keep imagining and keep pushing boundaries.


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Julia Lach

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