Saul Griffith

In 2000, Griffith graduated from the University of Sydney with a Master of Engineering degree.[1] He won a scholarship to MIT Media Lab to study towards a PhD that he completed in 2004. The subject of his PhD thesis was "self-replicating machines". They were one of the first instances of artificial replication being demonstrated using real physics.[2]

Saul is the co-founder and CEO of OtherLab, a research and development company working on computational manufacturing and design tools[3] and applying those tools to projects such as inflatable pneumatic robots and prostheses,[4] novel approaches to heliostat design,[5] and applications of computational origami to the design of pressure vessels (e.g. for compressed natural gas) in arbitrary shapes.[6] Otherlab's R&D is guided by a vast map of energy flows in the US economy,[7] which they use to identify key leverage points in building a more sustainable energy economy.

Griffith has leveraged this energy flow mapping for Rewiring America. Released in July 2020, Griffith provides a robust analysis of how—using technologies—the United States can create 30 million jobs, save consumers money, boost energy resiliency, and accelerate achievement of a net zero economy.[8][9]

Previously, he was a co-founder of Squid Labs, and its spinout companies and projects Makani Power, Instructables, Wattzon, HowToons, OptiOpia, Potenco and Monkeylectric.[10]

Saul Griffith giving a talk at Poptech 2008

Griffith now lives in San Francisco.[11] He is married to Tim O'Reilly's daughter Arwen.[12]

• Saul Griffith at TED