Martial Hebert, a leading researcher in computer vision and robotics at Carnegie Mellon University since 1984, will become director of the university’s Robotics Institute.

“Martial is a widely admired and respected leader in robotics,”said Andrew Moore, dean of the School of Computer Science. “Over the years, he and the people who have worked with him have produced some of the most impactful work on robot vision and sensing that the world has seen. We are all very excited to have him lead one of CMU’s most important centers of excellence.”

A native of Chatou, France, who earned a doctorate in computer science at the University of Paris, Hebert joined the Robotics Institute in 1984, just five years after the Robotics Institute was founded, and was named a full professor in 1999. The Robotics Institute has since grown into the world’s largest robotics education and research institution, with an annual research budget of more than $54 million.

“Having joined the institute shortly after its creation, I am honored and thrilled to now have the opportunity to work with the faculty, students and staff to shape the next phase of its journey,” Hebert said.