C of O alumnus presents quadraped robot to college students

College of the Ozarks recently welcomed Boston Dynamics Sales Manager and  alumnus Caleb Sylvester to campus, where he presented the first commercialized quadruped robot to onlooking students. 

The Engineering and Association for Computing Machinery clubs joined in welcoming Sylvester and SPOT; an agile mobile robot which moves on four feet. While the event was well attended by STEM students, other students of various studies were present, as well as many College of the Ozarks professors. 

Sylvester spoke with the students and afterwards gave them an opportunity to try their hand at remote controlling the robot.

“It’s neat to see someone who has graduated from College of the Ozarks go on to work with a renowned company such as Boston Dynamics and have the opportunity to work on flagship projects like Spot,” said Senior and Engineering Club President Aden Sisseck.

Sylvester attended College of the Ozarks from 2001 to 2004, where he studied public relations. Following his time at C of O, Sylvester worked for several companies as a customer service and public relations specialist, eventually making his way to the position of Sales Manager at Boston Dynamics. He has served at the company since August of 2020.

“College of the Ozarks creates a spirit in people similar to a hustle mindset, to work long hours and keep commitments, but to do it all with integrity,” Sylvester said.  “The ability to combine hard work with honesty is my takeaway from my time as a student at College of the Ozarks.”

Boston Dynamics, headquartered in Waltham, MA, is a leader in mobile robotics. It combines the principles of dynamic control and balance with sophisticated mechanical designs, cutting-edge electronics, and next-generation software for high-performance robots equipped with perception, navigation, and intelligence.

For more information about science and engineering clubs and classes at College of the Ozarks, visit www.cofo.edu.