Rod's Vision
Rethink Robotics was founded in 2008 by robotics pioneer Rodney Brooks. Rod was a co-founder of iRobot © (Nasdaq: IRBT) and held positions there including CTO, Chairman and board member from 1990 through 2011.
From 1984 through 2010, Rod was on the faculty of MIT as the Panasonic Professor of Robotics, and was the director of MIT CSAIL, the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. While at MIT, Rod developed the behavior-based approach to robotics that underlies the robots of both iRobot and Rethink Robotics.
Now, as Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of Rethink Robotics, Rod is devoted to his mission of creating smarter, more adaptable, low-cost robotic solutions that can help manufacturers to improve efficiency, increase productivity and reduce their need for offshoring.
SELECT VIDEOS
Remaking Manufacturing With Robotics 32:45 Maker Faire 2009. Rod discusses how advances in robotics are poised to make dramatic improvements in industrial productivity
Robots Will Invade Our Lives 18:44 TED 2003. Rod shows robots interacting with people and answers the question: Will they want to take over?
SELECT BOOKS AND ARTICLES
The Robots Are Here Technology Review, 2004. Rod compares robots today to computers in 1978
Flesh and Machines: How Robots Will Change Us. Rod describes his vision for robots as simple, ubiquitous, curious little machines. Published 2002.
Cambrian Intelligence: The Early History of the New AI. A collection of Rod's early academic papers. Published 1999
SELECT ARTICLES FEATURING ROD
I, Rodney Cosmos Magazine, Profile, 2009
Robot Risk Is Worth It BBC, Interview, 2002
The Bad Boy of Robotics Popular Science, Profile, 1995
MORE INFORMATION
Complete list of Rod's publications
Rod's Wikipedia page
Follow Rodney on Twitter (@rodneyabrooks)