Marc Raibert
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
And that was the inspiration behind the spot, pretty much as it exists today. We did a prototype the same size that was the first all-electric thing Non-hydraulic robot.
I mean, it was almost as simple as what I just said. You know, we were having a meeting. He said, yeah, geez, do you think you could make a smaller one that wouldn't be so intimidating, like a big dog, if it was in your house? And I said, yeah, we could do that. And we started and did.
I mean, it was almost as simple as what I just said. You know, we were having a meeting. He said, yeah, geez, do you think you could make a smaller one that wouldn't be so intimidating, like a big dog, if it was in your house? And I said, yeah, we could do that. And we started and did.
I mean, it was almost as simple as what I just said. You know, we were having a meeting. He said, yeah, geez, do you think you could make a smaller one that wouldn't be so intimidating, like a big dog, if it was in your house? And I said, yeah, we could do that. And we started and did.
I had been in love with hydraulics and still love hydraulics. It's a great technology. It's too bad that somehow the world out there looks at it like it's old-fashioned or that it's icky. It's true that you do. It is very hard to keep it from having some amount of dripping from time to time. But if you look at the performance, how strong you can get in a lightweight package.
I had been in love with hydraulics and still love hydraulics. It's a great technology. It's too bad that somehow the world out there looks at it like it's old-fashioned or that it's icky. It's true that you do. It is very hard to keep it from having some amount of dripping from time to time. But if you look at the performance, how strong you can get in a lightweight package.
I had been in love with hydraulics and still love hydraulics. It's a great technology. It's too bad that somehow the world out there looks at it like it's old-fashioned or that it's icky. It's true that you do. It is very hard to keep it from having some amount of dripping from time to time. But if you look at the performance, how strong you can get in a lightweight package.
And of course, we did a huge amount of innovation. Most of hydraulic control, that is the valve that controls the flow of oil, had been designed in the 50s for airplanes. It had been made robust enough, safe enough that you could count on it so that humans could fly in airplanes. And very little innovation had happened. You know, that might not be fair to the people who make the valves.
And of course, we did a huge amount of innovation. Most of hydraulic control, that is the valve that controls the flow of oil, had been designed in the 50s for airplanes. It had been made robust enough, safe enough that you could count on it so that humans could fly in airplanes. And very little innovation had happened. You know, that might not be fair to the people who make the valves.
And of course, we did a huge amount of innovation. Most of hydraulic control, that is the valve that controls the flow of oil, had been designed in the 50s for airplanes. It had been made robust enough, safe enough that you could count on it so that humans could fly in airplanes. And very little innovation had happened. You know, that might not be fair to the people who make the valves.
I'm sure that they did innovate. But the basic design had stayed the same. And there was so much more you could do. And so our engineers designed valves, the ones that are in Atlas, for instance, that had new kinds of circuits. They sort of did some of the computing that could get you much more efficient use. They were much smaller and lighter so that the whole robot could be smaller and lighter.
I'm sure that they did innovate. But the basic design had stayed the same. And there was so much more you could do. And so our engineers designed valves, the ones that are in Atlas, for instance, that had new kinds of circuits. They sort of did some of the computing that could get you much more efficient use. They were much smaller and lighter so that the whole robot could be smaller and lighter.
I'm sure that they did innovate. But the basic design had stayed the same. And there was so much more you could do. And so our engineers designed valves, the ones that are in Atlas, for instance, that had new kinds of circuits. They sort of did some of the computing that could get you much more efficient use. They were much smaller and lighter so that the whole robot could be smaller and lighter.
We made a hydraulic power supply that had a bunch of components integrated in this tiny package. It's about this big, the size of a football. It weighs five kilograms and it produces five kilowatts of power. Of course, it has to have a battery operating, but it's got a motor, a pump, filters, heat exchanger to keep it cool, some valves, all in this tiny little package. Hydraulics
We made a hydraulic power supply that had a bunch of components integrated in this tiny package. It's about this big, the size of a football. It weighs five kilograms and it produces five kilowatts of power. Of course, it has to have a battery operating, but it's got a motor, a pump, filters, heat exchanger to keep it cool, some valves, all in this tiny little package. Hydraulics
We made a hydraulic power supply that had a bunch of components integrated in this tiny package. It's about this big, the size of a football. It weighs five kilograms and it produces five kilowatts of power. Of course, it has to have a battery operating, but it's got a motor, a pump, filters, heat exchanger to keep it cool, some valves, all in this tiny little package. Hydraulics
you know, could still have a ways to go.
you know, could still have a ways to go.
you know, could still have a ways to go.
Well, I think having good hardware is part of the story, and people who think you don't need to innovate hardware anymore are wrong, in my opinion. So I think one of the things, certainly in the early years for me, taking a dynamic approach where you think about what's the evolution of the motion of the thing going to be,