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Rodney Brooks

Artificial Intelligence and robotics

Rodney Brooks is a renowned roboticist and entrepreneur, currently serving as the CTO and Co-Founder of Robust.AI, a company he established in June 2019.13 With a career spanning over four decades, Brooks has made significant contributions to the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence.

Career Highlights

  • Academic Career: Brooks held faculty positions at MIT from 1984 to 2010, becoming the Panasonic Professor of Robotics.2 He served as the founding director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory until 2007.2

  • Entrepreneurial Ventures:

    • Co-founded iRobot in 1990, serving as CTO, chairman, and board member until 2011.12
    • Founded Rethink Robotics in 2008, where he was Chairman and CTO until October 2018.12

Education and Achievements

Brooks received his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Flinders University of South Australia and a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University in 1981.23

He has been elected to several prestigious organizations:

  • National Academy of Engineering
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery
  • Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers2

Recent Work

As of February 2025, Brooks continues his work at Robust.AI, focusing on developing collaborative mobile robots for various applications, including fulfillment centers and factory floors.4 His latest venture aims to create user-friendly mobile robots that can be integrated into everyday environments, from grocery stores to hospitals and homes.5

Highlights

Sep 24 · twitter

In case your local affiliates are banning you from hearing something that someone says. https://t.co/xe1VXDCPAe

Jun 13 · twitter

Many of his supporters claim Trump plays 3D chess. In fact, he actually plays 3-moves-behind chess. https://t.co/Ma9cqusQNa

Feb 7 · amacad.org
Rodney Brooks | American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Jan 8 · techcrunch.com
Rodney Brooks, Author at TechCrunch
Mar 15 · youtube.com
Jeff Wong and Robust.AI's Rodney Brooks on life-changing mobile ...
Jeff Wong and Robust.AI's Rodney Brooks on life-changing mobile ...
Jun 2 · nist.gov
Biography of Rodney Brooks | NIST
May 3 · en.wikipedia.org
Rodney Brooks - Wikipedia
Rodney Brooks - Wikipedia

Related Questions

What are Rodney Brooks' main achievements at Robust.AI?
How did Rodney Brooks' work at MIT influence his career in robotics?
What are the key differences between Rethink Robotics and Robust.AI?
How did Rodney Brooks contribute to the development of iRobot?
What are some of the awards and recognitions Rodney Brooks has received?
Rodney Brooks
Rodney Brooks, photo 1
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Location

San Francisco, California, United States