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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305

␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 
⊗June 26, 1980 




␈↓ ↓H␈↓The Robotics Institute
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Science Hall
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Carnegie-Mellon University
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Pittsburgh, PA  l5213

␈↓ ↓H␈↓To Whom It May Concern:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Dr.␈αHans␈αMoravec,␈αwho␈α≡nished␈αhis␈αPh.␈αD.␈αdissertation␈αin␈αSpring␈α1980␈αunder␈αmy␈αdirection,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓has outstanding quali≡cations as a researcher in computer science, especially in its applied aspects.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        His␈α∂dissertation␈α∂concerned␈α∂the␈α∂control␈α∂of␈α∂a␈α∂vehicle␈α∂using␈α∂a␈α∂television␈α∂camera␈α∂to␈α∂transmit
␈↓ ↓H␈↓pictures␈α∂to␈α∂a␈α⊂computer␈α∂and␈α∂a␈α⊂program␈α∂in␈α∂the␈α∂computer␈α⊂to␈α∂≡nd␈α∂obstacles␈α⊂to␈α∂the␈α∂motion␈α⊂of␈α∂the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓vehicle␈αand␈αdetermine␈αa␈α
path␈αto␈αa␈αgoal␈αand␈α
transmit␈αcommands␈αto␈αthe␈αvehicle␈α
that␈αautomatically
␈↓ ↓H␈↓steered␈αit␈αto␈αthe␈αgoal␈αavoiding␈αthe␈αobstacles.␈α While␈αcomputer␈αscientists␈αhave␈αset␈αthis␈αas␈αa␈αgoal␈αfor
␈↓ ↓H␈↓almost␈α20␈αyears,␈αMoravec's␈αprogram␈αis␈αthe␈α≡rst␈α to␈αaccomplish␈αit␈αin␈αan␈αenvironment␈α
that␈αincludes
␈↓ ↓H␈↓ordinary␈α∞objects␈α∞as␈α∞obstacles.␈α∞ This␈α∞work␈α
involved␈α∞carefully␈α∞optimizing␈α∞programs␈α∞to␈α∞make␈α
them
␈↓ ↓H␈↓run␈α
as␈αfast␈α
as␈αpossible␈α
and␈αrequired␈α
patiently␈αovercoming␈α
many␈αdi≠culties␈α
with␈α
equipment␈αbuilt
␈↓ ↓H␈↓on an extremely low budget.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Moravec's␈αwork␈αon␈αnonsynchronous␈α skyhooks␈α
showed␈αthe␈αability␈αto␈αovercome␈α
mathematical
␈↓ ↓H␈↓di≠culties and an imaginative approach to space transportation systems.


␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sincerely,



␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Director
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor of Computer Science