Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Neil Jacobstein is a leading voice in the strategic development of robotics and artificial intelligence, with a career dedicated to shaping the field’s scientific foundations and real-world impact. As a former chair of the Department of Robotics at Singularity University and a long-time AI advisor, his work centers on the grand challenges of robotics, particularly its role in scientific discovery, public health, and extreme environment exploration. Jacobstein’s most influential contribution is co-authoring the seminal “The grand challenges of Science Robotics” (2018), which has garnered over 1,100 citations and set the research agenda for the entire field. He also led the critical analysis “Combating COVID-19—The role of robotics in managing public health and infectious diseases” (2020, 567 citations), which demonstrated how robotic systems could mitigate pandemic risks. Beyond these landmark papers, Jacobstein has championed robotics for space and marine sciences, and notably contributed to the narrative around NASA’s Perseverance rover, framing it as a potential discoverer of Martian microfossils. His editorial leadership at *Science Robotics* has helped define what constitutes high-impact, transformative research in the discipline. With a career spanning both technical innovation and visionary foresight, Jacobstein remains a pivotal figure in guiding robotics toward its most ambitious scientific and societal applications.