High school
I specialized in philosophy and psychology and read my first book on AI and ethics—a formative moment that shaped the trajectory I would later follow.
About
Robotics engineer.
Building the frameworks and community needed for a safe, secure and prosperous Physical AI future.
I’m Carina, a robotics engineer based in Zurich. I studied microengineering at EPFL and robotics, systems and control at ETH Zürich—an education that taught me to move comfortably between precise details and whole systems.
I’m drawn to hard, real-world problems. The kind where hardware, software, people and uncertainty all have a vote. My work has taken me from mechanism design and research to founding a company, but the common thread is simple: I like understanding how things work and helping make them better.
Beyond company-building, I care about the communities around technology. I’m creating a community around Physical AI safety, supporting diversity in tech as a #wetechtogether ally, and mentoring first-year mechanical engineering students at ETH Zürich.
Beyond work
Outside is where I reset.
In my free time, I love being outdoors—hiking, climbing, and spending time in places that make even big ideas feel very small.
I value time with friends and conversation, from lighthearted laughter to the deep exchanges that change how we see the world. I believe the best ideas emerge through discussion among people with different perspectives.
That belief is also why I’m committed to building a more diverse and inclusive robotics community.
The path so far
A few chapters that shaped me.
First research project
I explored individual and collective intelligence in honeybees. It sparked my early fascination with swarms and bio-inspired robotics.
EPFL
Microengineering: where I learned to love precise systems, physical constraints and the craft of making.
ETH Zürich
Robotics, systems and control: connecting mechanisms, intelligence and systems thinking.
ICRA 2025
Research on soft robot worms received the Best Paper Award on Mechanisms and Design.
View the paper ↗Ply
Co-founding and building a company around the future of intelligent machines in the physical world.