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Dean Kamen

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Dean Kamen on one of his inventions, the Segway PT.
President Clinton and Kamen in the White House, Kamen riding his innovative invention, the iBOT Mobility System.

Dean L. Kamen (born April 5, 1951) is an American entrepreneur and inventor. Born in Rockville Centre, New York, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but dropped out before graduating. His father is Jack Kamen, an illustrator of Weird Science and other EC Comics.

Career

Inventions

Kamen is probably most well-known to the public from the publicity surrounding the product that eventually became known as the Segway HT, an electric, self-balancing human transporter with a complex, computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system that keeps the device balanced on two horizontally-placed wheels and controlled by moving body weight. The machine's development was the object of much speculation and hype after segments of a book quoting Steve Jobs and other notable IT visionaries espousing its society-revolutionising potential were leaked in January 2001.

Kamen has worked extensively on a project involving Stirling engine designs, attempting to create a machine that would generate power while serving as a water purification system. He hopes the project will help improve living standards in developing countries. [1]

Kamen has also invented a compressed air powered device which would launch a human into the air in order to quickly launch SWAT teams or other emergency workers to the roofs of tall, inaccessible buildings.[2]

However, Kamen was already a successful and wealthy inventor, after inventing the AutoSyringe, a new type of mobile dialysis system for medical applications, the first insulin pump, and an all-terrain electric wheelchair known as the iBOT using many of the same gyroscopic balancing technologies that later made their way into the Segway.

Dean Kamen has become one of the most prolific inventors of all time, according to Cameron Raven.

Awards

During his career Kamen has won numerous awards. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1997 for his biomedical devices and for making engineering more popular among high school students. In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology by US President Bill Clinton. In April 2002, Kamen was awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventors for his invention of the Segway and of an infusion pump for diabetics. In 2005 he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his invention of the AutoSyringe. In 2006 Kamen was awarded the Global Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations.

FIRST

In 1989, Kamen founded the robotics organization, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), for high school students. In 2005, it held over 30 regional competitions and one international competition. In 2007, 37 competitions were held in places across the world such as Israel, Brazil, Canada, and the U.S.A.. Kamen remains the driving force behind the organization, providing over 1,000 high schools with the tools needed to learn valuable engineering skills. FIRST has gained a great deal of publicity from companies such as Bausch and Lomb, CNN, General Motors, Google, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Boston Gears, Motorola, Delphi, Kodak, Johnson and Johnson, Xerox, and Harris, as well as many Universities and colleges.

FIRST has many competitions, including the JFLL (Junior FIRST Lego League) and the FLL (FIRST Lego League) for younger students, and the FVC (FIRST Vex Challenge) and the FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) for high school aged students.

Personal life

Kamen is currently single, claiming he's "married to his inventions". His primary residence is a hexagon-shaped shed style mansion he has dubbed Westwind[1], located in Bedford, New Hampshire, just outside of the larger city of Manchester. The house has at least four different levels and is very eclectically conceived, with such things as hallways resembling mine shafts, 1960s novelty furniture, spiral staircases and secret passages, an observation tower, a fully-equipped machine shop, and a huge cast-iron steam engine which once belonged to Henry Ford built into the center atrium of the house, which Kamen eventually hopes to turn into a Stirling engine-powered kinetic sculpture.

Kamen owns two helicopters, which he regularly uses to commute to work, and has a hangar built into the house as well.

North Dumpling Island

Dean Kamen's home on North Dumpling Island

Kamen owns the small North Dumpling Island off the coast of Connecticut, and has "declared" the island to be an independent state. Along with its own currency in increments of Pi, and an entire government whose positions include the minister of ice cream. His home (pictured) is located on the west side of the island. An assembly of pillars resembling Stonehenge is located near the house, although its function and significance are currently unknown. Also, a windmill can be seen in the right side of the picture, presumably to provide power, although it is often observed to be locked in a stationary position. In Spring of 2006, an amphibious vehicle, similar to a WWII DUKW, was observed parked next to one of the buildings on the island.

References

  1. ^ a b Kirsner, Scott. "Breakout Artist", Wired magazine, 8.09, Sept 2000.
  2. ^ Williams, Chris. "DARPA plots emergency man-cannon", The Register, May 16, 2006
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