Marc Raibert, roboticist, founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Leg Laboratory. Raibert founded the Leg Lab in 1980, when he was appointed Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. Whilst there, he designed and built bipedal robots that could walk, run, jump, climb stairs and even perform simple gymnastic manoeuvres. The robot seen here (upper centre) was able to perform an aerial somersault, landing on its feet. Raibert directed the laboratory until 1995, when he left to found Boston Dynamics Incorporated. This company creates automated computer characters and virtual simulations of moving objects.