PhD 2001
Founder and Chair of Cool Energy World
Upon graduation, Robert, along with fellow ML graduate Andy Wheeler, co-founded Ember Corporation, which went on to help open the market for the "Internet of Things." They developed and commercialized wireless chips using the "ZigBee" communication protocol that have been built into tens of millions of devices, including smart power meters and high-end entertainment systems.
How did your experience at the Lab influence your next step?
When I entered the Media Lab, I thought I was going to focus on signal processing. But soon after arriving, I discovered microprocessors, radios and a prevailing "maker" mindset. It was a potent blend, and so it seemed completely natural to start building things to see what worked and what didn't.
Know that going through the Media Lab will change you. Know that you are working with an exceptional group. Build (and break) as much as you can as fast as you can, because you will probably never have such easy access to such a high-octane group of people and tools.