Stanford University, CA

United States

Research Areas

Computational and Artificial Intelligence, Control Design & Engineering, Design Automation, Machine Intelligence, Robot Programming, Robots

Biography

Bernie Roth was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He attended the City College of New York as an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. Following graduation, he earned a position there as a lecturer, as well as in the art department at Hunter College. Roth also attended Columbia University where he completed a M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 1958 and 1962, respectively. After finishing his degrees, he accepted a job with Stanford University and moved out to California. Where, early in his career, he helped John McCarthy to start up a robotics group in the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Currently he serves as the Rodney H. Adams Professor of Engineering and is one of the founders (and the current Academic Director) of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the d.school). Roth’s research interests in robotics include kinematics, dynamics, control, and design of computer controlled mechanical devices. In design, he organizes workshops on creativity, group interactions, and problem solving. For his work he has received several awards and honors, including the Outstanding Design Educator Award from ASME in 2000 and an Honorary Ph.D. from the University of Paris in 2007. Also, his book, The Achievement Habit, was published In 2005 by HarperCollins.

Interview Synopsis

In this interview, Bernie Roth discusses his work in robotics, focusing on his research in force control manipulation, and his time at Stanford University. Describing his involvement with the AI Lab, he outlines his work in projects, such as The Stanford Arm and robotic hands, and his many collaborations with roboticists and students. Reflecting on the evolution of robotics throughout his career, he comments on the future potential and application of the field.