Marc Raibert

Well, I was always a builder from a young age. I was lucky. My father was a frustrated engineer. And by that, I mean he wanted to be an aerospace engineer, but his mom from the old country thought that that would be like a grease monkey. And so she said no. So he became an accountant. But the result of that was our basement was always full of tools and equipment and electronics.

Well, I was always a builder from a young age. I was lucky. My father was a frustrated engineer. And by that, I mean he wanted to be an aerospace engineer, but his mom from the old country thought that that would be like a grease monkey. And so she said no. So he became an accountant. But the result of that was our basement was always full of tools and equipment and electronics.

Well, I was always a builder from a young age. I was lucky. My father was a frustrated engineer. And by that, I mean he wanted to be an aerospace engineer, but his mom from the old country thought that that would be like a grease monkey. And so she said no. So he became an accountant. But the result of that was our basement was always full of tools and equipment and electronics.

And from a young age, I would watch him assembling a kit, an Ico kit or something like that. I still have a couple of his old Ico kits. But it was really during graduate school when I followed a professor back from class. It was Bertolt Horn at MIT. And I was taking a an interim class. It's IAP, independent activities period. And I followed him back to his lab.

And from a young age, I would watch him assembling a kit, an Ico kit or something like that. I still have a couple of his old Ico kits. But it was really during graduate school when I followed a professor back from class. It was Bertolt Horn at MIT. And I was taking a an interim class. It's IAP, independent activities period. And I followed him back to his lab.

And from a young age, I would watch him assembling a kit, an Ico kit or something like that. I still have a couple of his old Ico kits. But it was really during graduate school when I followed a professor back from class. It was Bertolt Horn at MIT. And I was taking a an interim class. It's IAP, independent activities period. And I followed him back to his lab.

Somehow it spurred my imagination. I was in the brain and cognitive sciences department as a graduate student doing neurophysiology. I'd been an electrical engineer as an undergrad at Northeastern. The neurophysiology wasn't really working for me. It wasn't conceptual enough.

Somehow it spurred my imagination. I was in the brain and cognitive sciences department as a graduate student doing neurophysiology. I'd been an electrical engineer as an undergrad at Northeastern. The neurophysiology wasn't really working for me. It wasn't conceptual enough.

Somehow it spurred my imagination. I was in the brain and cognitive sciences department as a graduate student doing neurophysiology. I'd been an electrical engineer as an undergrad at Northeastern. The neurophysiology wasn't really working for me. It wasn't conceptual enough.

I couldn't see really how by looking at single neurons you were going to get to a place where you could understand control systems or thought or anything like that. And, you know, the AI lab was always an appealing, this was before CSAIL, right? This was in the 70s. So the AI lab was always an appealing idea.

I couldn't see really how by looking at single neurons you were going to get to a place where you could understand control systems or thought or anything like that. And, you know, the AI lab was always an appealing, this was before CSAIL, right? This was in the 70s. So the AI lab was always an appealing idea.

I couldn't see really how by looking at single neurons you were going to get to a place where you could understand control systems or thought or anything like that. And, you know, the AI lab was always an appealing, this was before CSAIL, right? This was in the 70s. So the AI lab was always an appealing idea.

And so when I went back to the AI lab with, you know, following him and I saw the arm, I just thought, you know, this is it.

And so when I went back to the AI lab with, you know, following him and I saw the arm, I just thought, you know, this is it.

And so when I went back to the AI lab with, you know, following him and I saw the arm, I just thought, you know, this is it.

Well, BCS is now morphed a bit, right? They have the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, which is trying to bridge that gap. And even when I was there, you know, David Marr was in the AI lab. David Marr had models of the brain that were appealing both to biologists but also to computer people. So he was a visitor in the AI lab at the time, and I guess he became full-time there.

Well, BCS is now morphed a bit, right? They have the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, which is trying to bridge that gap. And even when I was there, you know, David Marr was in the AI lab. David Marr had models of the brain that were appealing both to biologists but also to computer people. So he was a visitor in the AI lab at the time, and I guess he became full-time there.

Well, BCS is now morphed a bit, right? They have the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, which is trying to bridge that gap. And even when I was there, you know, David Marr was in the AI lab. David Marr had models of the brain that were appealing both to biologists but also to computer people. So he was a visitor in the AI lab at the time, and I guess he became full-time there.

So that was the first time a bridge was made between those two groups. Then the bridge kind of went away, and then there was another time in the 80s. And then recently, the last five or so years, there's been a stronger connection.

So that was the first time a bridge was made between those two groups. Then the bridge kind of went away, and then there was another time in the 80s. And then recently, the last five or so years, there's been a stronger connection.