Marc Raibert

And in the middle, I put Pogo Stick Robot. When he looked at it, Ivan is a brilliant guy, brilliant engineer, and a real cultivator of people. He looked at it and knew right away what the thing that was worth doing. He had an endowed chair, so he had about $3,000 that he gave me to build the first model for

which I went to the shop and with my own hands made a first model, which didn't work and was just a beginning shot at it. Ivan and I took that to Washington. In those days, you could just walk into DARPA and walk down the hallway and see who's there. Ivan, who had been there in his previous life, We walked around and we looked in the offices. Of course, I didn't know anything.

which I went to the shop and with my own hands made a first model, which didn't work and was just a beginning shot at it. Ivan and I took that to Washington. In those days, you could just walk into DARPA and walk down the hallway and see who's there. Ivan, who had been there in his previous life, We walked around and we looked in the offices. Of course, I didn't know anything.

which I went to the shop and with my own hands made a first model, which didn't work and was just a beginning shot at it. Ivan and I took that to Washington. In those days, you could just walk into DARPA and walk down the hallway and see who's there. Ivan, who had been there in his previous life, We walked around and we looked in the offices. Of course, I didn't know anything.

I was basically a kid, but Ivan knew his way around. We found Craig Fields in his office. Craig later became the director of DARPA, but in those days, he was a program manager. We went in. I had a little Samsonite suitcase. We opened and it had just the skeleton of this one-legged hopping robot. We showed it to him. And you could almost see the drool going down his chin of excitement.

I was basically a kid, but Ivan knew his way around. We found Craig Fields in his office. Craig later became the director of DARPA, but in those days, he was a program manager. We went in. I had a little Samsonite suitcase. We opened and it had just the skeleton of this one-legged hopping robot. We showed it to him. And you could almost see the drool going down his chin of excitement.

I was basically a kid, but Ivan knew his way around. We found Craig Fields in his office. Craig later became the director of DARPA, but in those days, he was a program manager. We went in. I had a little Samsonite suitcase. We opened and it had just the skeleton of this one-legged hopping robot. We showed it to him. And you could almost see the drool going down his chin of excitement.

And he sent me $250,000. He said, okay, I want to fund this. And I was between institutions. I was just about to leave JPL, and I hadn't decided yet where I was going next. And then when I landed at CMU, he sent $250,000, which in 1980 was a lot of research money.

And he sent me $250,000. He said, okay, I want to fund this. And I was between institutions. I was just about to leave JPL, and I hadn't decided yet where I was going next. And then when I landed at CMU, he sent $250,000, which in 1980 was a lot of research money.

And he sent me $250,000. He said, okay, I want to fund this. And I was between institutions. I was just about to leave JPL, and I hadn't decided yet where I was going next. And then when I landed at CMU, he sent $250,000, which in 1980 was a lot of research money.

Like, all the fundamentals are there. Yeah, I mean, I think that was the motivation to try and get more at the fundamentals of how animals work. But the idea that it would result in, you know, machines that were anything like practical... like we're making now. That wasn't anywhere in my head, no.

Like, all the fundamentals are there. Yeah, I mean, I think that was the motivation to try and get more at the fundamentals of how animals work. But the idea that it would result in, you know, machines that were anything like practical... like we're making now. That wasn't anywhere in my head, no.

Like, all the fundamentals are there. Yeah, I mean, I think that was the motivation to try and get more at the fundamentals of how animals work. But the idea that it would result in, you know, machines that were anything like practical... like we're making now. That wasn't anywhere in my head, no.

As an academic, I was mostly just trying to do the next thing, make some progress, impress my colleagues if I could.

As an academic, I was mostly just trying to do the next thing, make some progress, impress my colleagues if I could.

As an academic, I was mostly just trying to do the next thing, make some progress, impress my colleagues if I could.

Well, in the very early days, I needed some better engineering than I could do myself. And I hired Ben Brown. We each had our way of contributing to the design. And we came up with a thing that could start to work. I had some stupid ideas about how the actuation system should work. And we sorted that out.

Well, in the very early days, I needed some better engineering than I could do myself. And I hired Ben Brown. We each had our way of contributing to the design. And we came up with a thing that could start to work. I had some stupid ideas about how the actuation system should work. And we sorted that out.

Well, in the very early days, I needed some better engineering than I could do myself. And I hired Ben Brown. We each had our way of contributing to the design. And we came up with a thing that could start to work. I had some stupid ideas about how the actuation system should work. And we sorted that out.

It wasn't that hard to make it balanced once you get the physical machine to be working well enough and have enough control over the degrees of freedom. And then we very quickly, you know, we started out by having it floating on an inclined air table. And then that only gave us like six foot of travel.