The object
Marc Raibert established the scientific basis for highly dynamic legged robots through MIT’s Leg Laboratory, then founded Boston Dynamics. The resulting balancing, walking machines—including BigDog, Atlas and Spot—made agile quadruped and humanoid robot hardware a practical platform for industrial inspection and difficult terrain.
01
What Marc did
Established dynamic-leg locomotion research and founded Boston Dynamics, which developed BigDog, Atlas and Spot hardware.
02
Why it matters
Boston Dynamics records Spot’s commercial launch and Atlas’s 2024 move toward a commercial humanoid product.
03
Living-status check
The Robotics and AI Institute’s current leadership page identifies Raibert as founder and executive director, reviewed July 2026.