Marc Raibert is a pioneering roboticist whose visionary work has fundamentally transformed the field of dynamic robotics. He currently serves as Executive Director of The AI Institute, a research organization focused on the convergence of artificial intelligence and robotics that operates as part of Hyundai Motor Group. Raibert earned his BSEE from Northeastern University in 1973 and completed his PhD at MIT in 1977, where his dissertation explored motor control through state space modeling under advisors Berthold Horn and Whitman Richards. Before founding Boston Dynamics, he established a distinguished academic career as a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and MIT, founding the influential Leg Laboratory at CMU in 1980 to pursue groundbreaking research in dynamic legged locomotion.
Raibert revolutionized robotics through his seminal work on dynamic stability in legged robots, developing the first self-balancing hopping robots that demonstrated the practicality of dynamic movement when the field was dominated by statically stable wheeled systems. His innovative one-legged hopping design pioneered the scientific foundation for more complex two and four-legged robots, challenging conventional wisdom about the feasibility of dynamically stable locomotion. Under his leadership at Boston Dynamics, this foundational work evolved into commercially successful robots including Spot, the agile quadruped that has found applications across numerous industries, and Atlas, the highly dynamic humanoid that demonstrates remarkable agility and dexterity. His contributions have not only advanced the technical capabilities of mobile robots but established entirely new approaches to robotic movement and control that have influenced the entire field.
Raibert's influence extends beyond specific robotic platforms to shaping the entire trajectory of robotics research and commercialization, with Boston Dynamics under his guidance becoming arguably the most influential pure-play robotics research organization globally. His work has earned him numerous prestigious honors including the IEEE Robotics and Automation Award, IEEE Pioneer in Robotics designation, and the Engelberger Award, recognizing his transformative impact on the field. As Executive Director of The AI Institute, he continues to drive innovation at the intersection of robotics and artificial intelligence, focusing on creating the next generation of intelligent machines with enhanced capabilities. Raibert remains committed to advancing robot technology to achieve supernatural levels of dexterity, perception, and learning, with the goal of creating robots that significantly enhance productivity and improve quality of life across diverse applications while maintaining his position as a thought leader in the robotics community.
