Rodney Brooks
InvestorFounderObvious Champion at Obvious Ventures · Co-founder & CTO at Robust AI · Founder at Rethink Robotics
San Francisco, California, United States
FoundedRethink RoboticsRobust AI
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614 people in our graph share verified history with Rodney — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
About
Rodney Brooks has cofounded six companies, including iRobot (maker of the Roomba), Rethink Robotics, and Robust.AI, where the team builds collaborative mobile robots for warehouses and manufacturing. He completed a Master's thesis on machine learning in Australia (1977) and a PhD on computer vision at Stanford (1981), and while on the MIT faculty developed behavior-based robot control. He directed the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab from 1997 to 2007 and was the founding director of MIT CSAIL.
Invests in
AI & Machine LearningRobotics
Co-founder & CTO at Robust AI
Intro paths
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Robust AI's investors · 8
Co-founders at Robust AI

Founder at Rethink Robotics
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Rethink Robotics's investors · 8
Experience
- Robust.AICTO & Foundercurrent2019 — presentPalo Alto, California
- Rethink RoboticsCTO, Chairman, Founder2008 — 2018
- iRobotCo-founder, CTO, Board member1990 — 2011
- MITPanasonic Professor of Robotics1984 — 2010
- LucidCo-founder, Compiler hacker/architect1984 — 1992Menlo Park, CA
- Stanford UniversityAssistant Professor1983 — 1984
- MITResearch Scientist1981 — 1983
- Carnegie Mellon UniversityResearch Scientist1981
Skills & more
From Rodney's professional profile.
Colleagues at Obvious Ventures
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Rodney Brooks?
- Rodney Brooks has cofounded six companies, including iRobot (maker of the Roomba), Rethink Robotics, and Robust.AI, where the team builds collaborative mobile robots for warehouses and manufacturing. He completed a Master's thesis on machine learning in Australia (1977) and a PhD on computer vision at Stanford (1981), and while on the MIT faculty developed behavior-based robot control. He directed the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab from 1997 to 2007 and was the founding director of MIT CSAIL.
- Where does Rodney Brooks work?
- Rodney Brooks is Founder of Rethink Robotics and Obvious Champion at Obvious Ventures and Co-founder & CTO at Robust AI.
- What does Rodney Brooks invest in?
- Rodney Brooks invests in AI & Machine Learning, Robotics.
- What companies did Rodney Brooks found?
- Rodney Brooks founded Rethink Robotics, Robust AI.
- Where did Rodney Brooks go to school?
- Rodney Brooks studied at Stanford University (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Computer Science); Flinders University (B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., Mathematics).
Founder mafias
Stanford University mafia1,934
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
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Carnegie Mellon University mafia481
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
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iRobot mafia17
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
+ 10 more
Obvious Ventures mafia10
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
+ 3 more
Rethink Robotics mafia5
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended Stanford University2,000
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Also attended Flinders University22
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