Tag: Women in STEM

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June 9, 2023

The Benefits of Outsourcing PCB Design Services

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design is a critical element of electronic product development. It involves designing the layout of the circuit board, including the placement and routing of components, to ensure optimal performance and reliability. PCB design is a specialized skill that requires expertise and experience. Outsourcing PCB design services can offer several benefits to companies, especially those that do not have in-house PCB design capabilities.

The benefits of outsourcing PCB design services.

1. Cost savings

Outsourcing PCB design services can offer significant cost savings to companies. By outsourcing, companies do not have to invest in expensive PCB design software, hardware, and personnel. PCB design service providers have the required infrastructure and expertise to deliver high-quality PCB designs at a lower cost. Outsourcing also eliminates the need for companies to hire and train PCB designers, which can be a time-consuming and expensive process.

2. Expertise and experience

PCB design service providers have a team of expert designers with years of experience in designing PCBs for various industries. Outsourcing PCB design services can give companies access to this expertise and experience, which can be invaluable in ensuring that the PCB design is optimized for performance and reliability. PCB design service providers have the necessary knowledge and skills to design PCBs that meet the specific requirements of the industry.

3. Faster time to market

Outsourcing PCB design services can help companies reduce the time to market for their products. PCB design service providers have the required expertise, experience, and infrastructure to deliver high-quality PCB designs within a short time frame. This can help companies get their products to market faster, giving them a competitive advantage.

4. Improved quality

Outsourcing PCB design services can help companies improve the quality of their PCB designs. PCB design service providers have a team of expert designers who follow industry best practices and standards to ensure that the PCB design is optimized for performance and reliability. PCB design service providers also use the latest software and hardware to create high-quality designs.

5. Flexibility

Outsourcing PCB design services can offer companies flexibility in terms of resource allocation. Companies can outsource PCB design services on a project-by-project basis, allowing them to scale up or down as required. This can help companies manage their resources more effectively and efficiently.

January 12, 2023

One Big Roller Coaster

 

The Evolution of Technology: From Stone Tools to Quantum Computing

Driverless vehicles, robots, cryptocurrency, and a lot more; technology has been delivering mind-blowing findings throughout the years. Since the 18th century, around the time when the industrial revolution started, tech never failed to wow us with countless discoveries and ways to make our lives easier. It brought about smart solutions even for our day-to-day challenges that we never pondered as solvable issues. Today, life without technology would not be functional or enjoyable for most of us. While some may suppose that tech causes more problems than it solves, one can not deny the fact that technology has become perpetually crucial in our lives.

There is evidence for the negative effects of its overuse, especially in our generation where just about everything is digital. The advancements and amusing internet contents keep us glued to our devices, be it scrolling through TikTok on our cell phone or watching Netflix on the TV, which we can do for hours without even realizing it. This can quickly become an addiction because excessive internet use has been shown to release dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ chemical, in the brain.

Despite all of this, from the simplest gadgets like a calculator or a rice cooker to highly advanced areas of study like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, almost everything around us is kept running by the strong arms of this compelling concept. Automobiles/cars, telephones, aircraft, robotics, the internet, the printing press, and our pivotal tool- a computer- are just a few of the appliances that are in favor of our productivity, and also, at times, failure. As much as how transformative it is, if misused, technology has the potential to be combative to our generation.
Made nearly two million years ago, stone tools are the first known technological invention. From there on, the light bulbs invented by Thomas Edison ignited the spark of modern innovations. We now have insane fields like Blockchain, Humanoid Robots, and Quantum computers in the digital sector.

Technology has overall become essential in our lives. It has transformed and elevated our lifestyle and general functioning. Here in Ethiopia, starting from the time when Emperor Menelik(||) first introduced telephones to the community, technology has played an important part in the lives of many. We now have emerging sectors like Information Technology, Advanced Robotics, and Biotechnology, which I believe shall construct strong railroads towards development.

What do you think a day without any sort of technology would look like?

 

November 24, 2022

One Big Roller Coaster

A Whole New World; Virtual Reality

VR is an abbreviation for Virtual Reality. As the name implies, it completely replaces reality with a computer-generated environment by taking over our vision. VR is a self-contained system in which users can create and experience a simulated (fictional) environment using advanced devices such as VR headsets and, in most cases, a pair of controllers. The VR goggles you put on play animations all around you in 360 degrees, as if you were standing in the scenario, allowing you to explore without limits! It is especially useful because users can customize it to simulate a specific environment for a specific purpose. VR does not necessitate a great deal of specialized knowledge; basic programming knowledge and a forward-thinking mindset are sufficient to capitalize on this field of technology.

My first experience with virtual reality was about three months ago when I went to the Guzo Technologies studio in Addis Ababa with my younger brother and his friend. It was a hilarious experience. I was terrified when I first put on the headset and found myself in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by purple and white walls! Then came the train ride game in the dark caves beneath massive mountains. I fought to stay balanced and avoid falling down as I traveled through the ups and downs of the destroyed railroads. I jumped around a lot, hunched over, and screamed a lot. How miserable I must have looked to those watching me from outside!

It wasn’t until I was introduced to the other applications of VR that I realized it wasn’t just for video games. I was completely wrong. I quickly discovered the wonders that this emerging technology is capable of delivering when I found myself in the middle of an unforgettable historical event, the Adwa battle, which is the reason I am able to exercise my own culture and speak my language today. I lived through history. I lived in liberty. All through the VR goggles’ screen.
VR, as a fully immersive and interactive technology, enables almost everything to be done virtually, from entertainment and shopping to healthcare, education, and even business. With all of these smart and connective features, Virtual Reality is ahead in the future.
Fun fact: There are an estimated 171 million VR users worldwide. As of 2022, the VR gaming industry has a market size of $12.13 billion.
I believe that in a few decades, VR will be an essential part of our lives, and everyone will become accustomed to using it out of necessity, if not desire.
What do you think virtual reality will bring to our future?

November 3, 2022

One Big Roller Coaster

Our World’s Future – Artificial Intelligence

We can all agree that the digital world is mysterious. It twists and turns unpredictably.
Imagine a world where all kinds of work are automated by artificial intelligence. Machines mimic human deeds to complete any task and robots become digital collaborators to the human race. It indeed sounds captivating, but at the same time, very dangerous. Not because AI will develop their own consciousness, start demanding freedom or scheme world domination like in the terminator movies, AIs today are not that advanced. They have the approximate computing power of an earthworm or even less! Yes, that’s right. The system doesn’t reflect the slightest human intelligence.

It sure can observe, identify, and make decisions though. The issue is, an AI does EXACTLY what we ask it to do. Hence, it is usually unable to function flexibly in different situations. Suppose you command a robot to move from your kitchen to the living room. The command you issued is now the goal, which is to get to the living room. It has no data on how to move or what to use to get there. It could crawl, use its arms to walk, or even build a tower and fall over to arrive at its destination! Technically, it is doing what it was ordered to do. Just not the right way. The same applies to other fields in which AI is used. This makes it easy to accidentally give it the wrong problem to solve. So, it is up to us to avoid complications and things going wrong. We have to set up the system to solve problems so that the AI performs what we requested.

Despite this, Artificial Intelligence is quite a vast field with fascinating applications. It is designed to imitate human intelligence in machines and robots. As the main driver of emerging technologies, AI is now used in healthcare, construction, factory work, and even police investigations. Its efficiency in several significant fields could benefit the global community to a great extent. We shall reduce human errors, welcome new inventions, ease workloads, create job opportunities, and reap all the other countless advantages of this technology. Only if we precisely understand its capabilities and the right way to communicate with it, of course.

Let me shoot a quick question for you to answer in the comments:
What kind of practical progress can we produce in OUR country with the power of advanced AI?

 

October 20, 2022

One Big Roller Coaster

What My Brief Journey in the STEM World Has Taught Me So Far

A computer is a crucial daily tool for the majority of the youth. however, this technology is yet alien to a good part of our community. Growing up in a country with one of the least digitally literate people in the world, pursuing technology has always been a daunting dream for most students in Ethiopia. This dream of ours, however, is a necessity. An ambition that we could never give up on, knowing what transformative impact it can put forward.

So much potential and ability, yet so little technology to bring it all out.  So many enthusiastic learners to change this bitter truth of our country, yet so few resources and opportunities to help them make it happen. So much fresh energy and motive, yet so little access. The need to invest in the forthcoming generation’s potential, especially in the STEM sector, is prominent. Being fortunate enough to find myself in this fascinating world of endless innovations has drastically improved my outlook on the sector and my community. I now believe that STEM has the power to change and empower communities like mine. Technology has the potential to illuminate the darkness of illiteracy residing in our country. Ethiopia has 60% of people under the age of 25 that could benefit from the ample education opportunities of STEM whilst contributing to the development of our nation, and beyond, continent. Observing how eager the youth community is to transform the country’s unfortunate reality into prosperity, I understand that I should also be responsible for the overhaul of Ethiopia’s technological sector and not just the government I continually blame. Besides, to have my contribution in this area of advancement brings pleasure like no other. My country’s promising future that I caught a glimpse through the vast window of STEM is worth struggling for.

October 15, 2022

A Brief Dive into Programming

To New Beginnings

Admittedly, computer skill is indeed the new norm of literacy. Needless to mention, almost every profession nowadays needs a basic grasp of computers. Automation, social media marketing, e-commerce, GIS and remote sensing, big data, and many more are IT-based that are administered by professionals with intermediate to advanced IT skills. Among these, programming or coding is the element that allows users to communicate with machines and computers. It blends logical thinking with creativity to develop something that makes life easier and much more pleasurable. 

Programming can be easy to get the basics while being quite challenging to master it.  Coding might be puzzling at the beginning due to the different learning styles and techniques taken by others. The best way to tackle this problem is by crafting one’s own curriculum based on the type of learner one is. Following that, they may begin fishing in the enormous sea of resources. Not to add, remaining focused on developing one skill before moving on to the next is critical in learning how to code. Having far too many ideas simultaneously can be distracting and demotivating. 

There is a common perception that somewhere out there exists an ideal language for beginners in programming; this is in fact not true. A programming language is basically a tool that IT people use to code instructions for computers to operate. A web developer believes that JavaScript is the best-suited language for a newbie to learn. A data scientist favors Python over any other language. A game developer can be a big fan of C++. But, at the end of the day, what matters is what you’re attempting to do with your instrument. Loops, conditionals, functions, and other fundamental programming principles are all the same. The distinction is primarily syntactical. 

Although there are a lot of perks to becoming a qualified programmer, one must always update his or her competencies to keep up with the fast-changing competing world. In fact, there is a huge demand for programmers worldwide, which has resulted in an exponentially expanding number of people entering the industry. Because the competition is fierce, one must develop a cheerful attitude, task management skills, rapid learning capacity, and the ability to work well in a team to succeed.  

October 6, 2022

One Big Roller Coaster

An Introduction

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.
-Issac Asimov

I am Amrot, a passionate learner and tech enthusiast. I am the co-founder of a youth tech platform, Technoelpis. Currently, in the process of assisting technophile youth get one step closer to their ultimate careers, I am also molding myself into an incredibly industrious computer operator. I believe that my small journey in the STEM world as a high schooler who is incredibly enthralled by the overall functioning of the digital world is worth sharing. My unanticipated transformation from not being familiar with a single concept about computers to discovering the joy of exploring the vast digital world in just a year. It was like unfolding a whole new chapter of adventures to thrive through. And, indeed, One big roller coaster.

In my bi-weekly blogs, I will be discussing affairs regarding the tech world, mainly focusing on the digital industries of Africa and Ethiopia. In addition to that, I will be sharing some of my personal experiences and reflecting on my perspectives on different issues concerning STEM. My ultimate goal is to inspire my audience whilst proposing positive ideas and solutions to our current quandaries in regard to scientific Africa. I profoundly believe that this will be a space where I can bring my candid outlooks on various areas in relation to STEM and interact with my audience well to come up with tangible conclusions and better content every time.

Should you have any questions, suggestions, or specific topics you would like me to write about, do not hesitate to let me know in the comments.

Would you like to know more about me?

https://gmt.tzg.mybluehost.me/.website_4544bb84/women-in-stem-spotlight-amrot-abiyu/

August 23, 2022

Women in STEM Spotlight: Ruth Asmamaw

As a kid, I’ve always found myself specifically drawn to studying natural science. For someone who loves solving problems, and being surrounded by stories of humanity, being a doctor seemed to be the only career path I could take. I never thought of studying software engineering because I have always imagined it as a man’s job and never thought I would fit in.  That was a couple of years ago but I am very positive that there are many girls out there who still have this stereotypical image of a software engineer.   It is not until I got introduced to Women in Tech, that I completely changed my perception. Although it’s clearly visible that there is a strong gender bias in the tech industry, I saw that there is space for people like me with values of solving problems and impacting humanity aligns.

 

In my first few weeks of school, things weren’t going my way. Being a girl with no prior programming knowledge surrounded by computer whizzes was tough. Frustration was taking me all in. But on the bright side, it was an eye-opening moment. Anxious to cope with my peers, I started devouring every piece of information that comes my way. I spent hours googling and asking the internet about programming and software tutorials. Since there isn’t a wrong way of learning things, I kept on exploring new methods that suit my learning style best. I was attending online courses and taking lessons via videos.  Thanks to the internet almost everything I needed was only a fingertip away.

Throughout my exploration, I have come across various subfields of software engineering. Digging into this diverse area has made me realize the ample opportunities it comes with and how one can choose a field to specialize in based on his/her interests, skills, and strengths.  I personally found myself leaning towards the web development area. The process of creating something tangible out of an abstract idea was so fascinating to learn. Web development gave me the ability to see the world from another perspective and has helped me solve problems that I face in my day-to-day life. Learning this new skill was constantly giving me the feeling of accomplishment, which in my case happened to be my number one motivator. Throughout the process, I also worked on bettering my communication and other soft skills.

 

I aspire to become a very significant figure in the tech industry. Living in a country that is still new to the technology era, I believe that there is a lot to be done. I also wish to give back to what the world has given to me. I am among the privileged ones, living in a city and having access to quality education, but I know that most of the girls out there have a handful of these opportunities. My dream is to help these bright girls free themselves from the meshed society had put them in and conquer their dreams.

Amrot Abiyu
August 16, 2022

Women in STEM Spotlight: Amrot Abiyu

I strongly believe in the power of hard work, for it is meant to enable us to achieve the unthinkable.
Let me introduce myself first. My name is Amrot Abiyu. Amrot is an Ethiopian high schooler living with her father and grandma in Addis, around Gulelle. She is a proud student of Nazareth School and the co-founder of Technoelpis- an association of young Ethiopian learners interested in the field of technology to share ideas/ experiences to help everyone discover and explore their ambitions through each other. We aim to influence people in a way that would change their lives for the better. She Carries a deep passion for sharing with others whatever type of knowledge and experience she comes across.
I have never in my entire life thought that there would be a single chance that I would get involved in the field of technology until last summer, when my amazing friend Nebus encouraged me to apply for a summer coding camp for high school students. I opposed at first. I didn’t like the idea and I thought the topic was not interesting at all because I didn’t have any understanding of the subject. That was until I got accepted and attended the program. In the process, I started falling in love with computer science. I found discovering the amusing complexions of programming delightful. Now that I think of it, it thought me that nothing but our way of thinking and perspectives stops us from exploring and enjoying our true selves. I wouldn’t have got the opportunity to discover my abilities and meet all those amazing people if I had decided not to apply just because I thought I wouldn’t make it.
Speaking of amazing people, I was lucky enough to make some great friends at the summer program, who are now my co-workers in the technology community we founded to make what we learned (programming/ computer science) accessible to every student. Technoelpis was founded by me and my four other colleagues in the January of 2022. We are now working on our virtual summer camp which consists of a coding course, self-development classes, and college application info sessions with student guests from top schools. From not knowing a single thing about computers to constructing a summer camp with over 50 students, it’s been quite a journey that wouldn’t have been true without the work and dedication of the team as well as our supporting members. I faced some challenges with some of the applicants for the program who were sometimes a bit ill-mannered and said unpleasant words or negative sentences on the comment sections of my Technoelpis social media posts. Despite these issues, I knew very well that what I am doing for myself as well as my community was much more than how a random individual tried to define it. I also had some difficulties managing my time at first, but now I can schedule everything and get my work done in a disciplined manner. I was able to understand that challenges were not there to stop me from accomplishing what I dream of or tear me down, but to shape me into the strong and hardworking young lady I aspire to become. Building this mindset helped me to focus on the numerous positive blessings I was granted and keep pushing forward.
I still have an extensive journey and countless experiences to live through. All that I am doing today wouldn’t have been true if it wasn’t for all the supportive and great people around me. I would very much like to thank every one of them.

August 9, 2022

Women in STEM Spotlight: Afrah Hussein

Who Am I?

 

I am Afrah Hussein, an Electrical and Computer Engineering student at AASTU. When I attended high school, I got the chance to participate in a summer training organized by STEMPower owing to my involvement in my school’s exhibition. In the summer training, I studied different electronic and programming courses. The lessons were exciting and helped develop my skills. But when it came to collaboration in group work, it was a bit challenging as I was not used to it. 

Lessons From My Experience

 

What girls need to know about project selection is this, you don’t have to be affected by negative feedback from anyone. From experience, my project consisted of two parts, the electrical and mechanical. I was getting lots of negative suggestions from students that I could not do the mechanical part alone. They said even if I did, it wouldn’t function. They concluded that I had to change my project to an easier one. But once I did my research, believed I could do it, and planned how negative feedback and suggestions didn’t affect me and the effort I was putting into implementing my project.  

 

Despite the negative feedback, I finished my project on time and got the first rank in the competition held after the training. Once you know and figure out a way to do something, you don’t have to give up on it. Especially if it is your dream. Other people might not see it the way you do. So, I say to prove them wrong. 

Aspiration

My motivation and dream are to take a substantial part in the technology revolution by adapting existing technologies and introducing new ones to the world. And to build (create) a better world to live in. 

Three things I advise girls who want to join STEM are:

  1.  First, be sure and clearly state what you want to do, and don’t let anyone change your mood for work.
  2. Take risks and engage with a specific field that inspires you the most.
  3. Use the opportunities in front of you properly because they will help you to accelerate achieving your dreams.

 

Projects I Worked on

 

  1. A stair-climbing balanced wheelchair with a distance notifier
      1. This project is a Self-stabilizing platform that automatically balances the wheelchair, fixing it with a defined axis. While climbing the stair, the center of mass of the wheelchair carrying the user changes. The accelerometer, with the help of the servo motors, fixes the wheelchair in a balanced state. It also includes the ultrasonic sensor and Sharp GP2Y0A21 Distance sensor to notify the distances and speed between the wheelchair and the nearby solid object following the wheelchair.
  2. ICU assistance software
      1. The main objective of this project is to develop a system that enables doctors to follow up with their patients distantly and to get notifications whenever there is an emergency case.

 

Conclusion

“If there’s a will, there’s a way!” There’s nothing we can’t do if we set our minds to it and dedicate ourselves.

 

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