**David Mindell** examines our relationship with robots. How truly independent are they presently, and how autonomous can they be in the future? In the robots we use for space exploration, deep-sea research, and many other tasks. The real "brain" seems to be human, not robotic, His recent book, which he discusses, explains both the value of robots and the actual limits of robotic autonomy at a time when there is increasing controversy about the capabilities of robots.
David Mindell is Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and also the Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing at MIT. He has 25 years of experience as an engineer in undersea robotic exploration, including many oceanographic expeditions, and as a pilot and engineer of autonomous aircraft. Because he emphasizes the social and cognitive aspects of the relationship between humans and the field of robotics, he brings a unique perspective to this science. Dr. Mindell has degrees in Literature and in Electrical Engineering from Yale University, and a doctorate in the history of technology from MIT. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and a Fellow of the Explorer’s Club of New York City.