Grant Imahara designed the animatronic robot skeleton Geoff Peterson for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, a project that debuted on April 5, 2010. Beyond this sidekick, he was an American electrical engineer and television personality who brought sophisticated robotics into the mainstream through his technical expertise at Industrial Light & Magic and his long-running television career.
Engineering and Visual Effects
Born in Los Angeles in 1970, Imahara studied electrical engineering at the University of Southern California and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. His professional foundation began at Lucasfilm, where he spent nine years working for the THX division and the visual effects firm Industrial Light & Magic. He earned credits as a model maker on major feature films including Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, The Matrix Reloaded, and Galaxy Quest, where he designed circuit boards for the lighting effects on the NSEA-Protector ship.
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Imahara transitioned into television with appearances on BattleBots, where he competed with his robot Deadblow. In 2005, he joined the Discovery Channel series MythBusters as part of the Build Team, where he utilized his background in electronics to test experimental scenarios until 2014. He later reunited with his former co-stars Kari Byron and Tory Belleci for the 2016 Netflix original series White Rabbit Project, exploring topics ranging from jailbreaks to superhero technology.
Technical Contributions and Public Presence
Outside of studio productions, Imahara authored the technical manual Kickin' Bot: An Illustrated Guide to Building Combat Robots. He contributed to the robotics community as a mentor for the Richmond High School team Biomechs #841. His acting credits included playing Hikaru Sulu in the web series Star Trek Continues and a cameo as a robotics scientist in the finale of the series Eureka. He died in Los Angeles on July 13, 2020, following a ruptured intracranial aneurysm.
Fast facts
- Born: 1970, Los Angeles
- Died: 2020, Los Angeles
- Education: USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- Notable Work: MythBusters
- Career Beginnings: Lucasfilm/Industrial Light & Magic
- Combat Robot: Deadblow
- Known Publication: Kickin' Bot
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What was Imahara's primary role on MythBusters?
He served as a member of the Build Team, where he specialized in designing electronics, building robots, and operating computers for testing various myths.
Did Imahara work on the Star Wars film franchise?
Yes, he worked as an engineer and model maker at Industrial Light & Magic, where his duties included maintaining R2-D2 robots for the prequel trilogy.
Achievements
- Affiliated with Discovery Channel and Lucasfilm
- Educated at University of Southern California, USC Viterbi School of Engineering and Richmond High School
- Worked as actor, television presenter and electrical engineer
