Robert Playter

Dr. Robert Playter is CEO of Boston Dynamics, the world leader in advanced mobile robots. Under his leadership, Boston Dynamics has launched two commercial products: Spot, the first commercial legged robot targeting the market for industrial inspections, and Stretch, a box-moving robot that unloads trailers for more efficient warehouse operations. Playter has spent more than three decades in leadership positions at Boston Dynamics where he launched and led the company’s early work on humanoid robots culminating in the creation of Atlas, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot. Playter also instigated the company’s development of a robot for the warehousing industry, resulting in the creation of Stretch. Prior to his role as CEO, he served as Boston Dynamics’ chief operating officer and VP of Engineering where he helped grow the company and prepare for the transition from a pure research organization to a commercial producer of advanced robot products. A former NCAA Division I National Champion gymnast at The Ohio State University, Playter’s athletic career highly influenced his work in robotics. He received his PhD in aeronautical engineering from MIT in 1994, where he worked under Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics, at the MIT Leg Lab to develop his thesis on robot gymnastics and program a bipedal robot to do the world’s first 3D robotic somersault. His most rewarding experiences are those that come as a teammate, whether in sports or business.