Meet the Innovator - Christopher Toews, Production Manager at Ghost Robotics
Welcome to a new edition of Meet the Innovator! This month we have the opportunity to introduce Christopher Toews, Production Manager at Ghost Robotics. In theme of Earth Week, we conducted this interview outside on our campus.
Before we get to know Chris, let's get to know Ghost Robotics:
ROBOTS THAT FEEL THE WORLD: Ghost Robotics develops unstoppable, agile, and highly responsive autonomous 4-leg robots offering superior operability over wheeled and tracked devices on unstructured terrain and in rough environments. Since 2015, Ghost has been focused on building a Q-UGV that is the best-in-class, working hand-in-hand with our customers, not just throwing a robot onto the market from the lab. Ghost Robotics is located in the office building on the Pennovation Works campus.
10 Questions - Meet the Innovator: Chris Toews:
We had a great time getting to know Chris! You can check out our YouTube channel for a recorded version of this interview.
How long have you been working at Ghost Robotics?
- A little over a year!
What do you find to be most rewarding about your work?
- It's pretty amazing to put together an extremely complicated machine. To put in long hours and hard work and to see it (the robotic dogs) walking around, it really validates all the effort put into them.
What do you find to be the most challenging?
- We're always innovating. Making them better, waterproof, all-terrain, and of course the robots are not always cooperative so it can be a hassle repairing them.
Do you have any key mentors or people who have deeply influenced you?
- Here at Ghost, I really look up to Gavin. He is an extremely intelligent person and pushing us. He has a very high expectation of what we do around here. Pleasing him always makes us feel good.
What’s the best part about working at Pennovation?
- It's a great campus. People here are really great, all of our neighbors are really friendly. Hopefully as we expand into these other buildings and grow, it will be even better.
What’s been your favorite food truck that has come to Pennovation?
- I liked the seafood truck! The crabcakes.
Where are you originally from?
- Los Angeles
What’s the best part about living in Philadelphia?
- I mean I love the east coast in general, I go up to New York all the time. Everything is very close in Philadelphia and accessible unlike LA and most of the west coast.
Describe Philadelphia in 3 Adjectives
- Large town, small city? (we'll take it!)
Lightning Round Qs:
Go-to song right now: Leave the Door Open by Silk Sonic
Dog or cat person? Or maybe more of a robotic dog person?: Definitely a dog person and have trained multiple and have had a bunch, but also robotic dogs!
Favorite show: Solar Opposites
Place you would want to travel to the most: Fiji?? For the water. Just want to make sure what they're making comes from the right source.
Thank you, Chris! Always a pleasure getting to know one of our Innovators around Pennovation!
