Dean Kamen – the Crusader!
The Man
Dean Kamen, a household name in the medical device industry, is the holder of more than 150 U.S. and international patents. Although a college drop out, his passion and propensity towards science and technology has made him one of the most successful inventors in medical device history. When a helicopter manufacturer refused to customize a helicopter for his everyday use, he went on to buy the company and later sold it with a thumping profit. He has two helicopters which he uses to commute.
His Toys
One of his most successful inventions was the iBOT he developed for Johnson & Johnson. The iBOT can be described as a ‘cool’ wheelchair that can be used to climb stairs, traverse uneven terrain, provide elevation and even play basketball with! The iBOT’s sole mission was to increase the independence of people with disabilities. The iBOT has 4 powered wheels and is capable of balancing on one pair of wheels. The iBOT has a unique patented technology called iBALANCE, which integrates sensors, software, multiple computers and gyroscopes (motion sensors that help maintain balance).
Following the success of the iBOT, which was primarily for a niche market (the disabled), he went on to use similar technology to develop the Segway Human Transporter. The Segway HT is a self balancing personal transportation that uses a complex, computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control systems. As it requires no special skills it can be used by anyone, young or old, to commute, shop, and run errands more quickly and more cost effectively than using a car. In order to maintain balance, the Segway turns the wheels at just the right speed, so you move forward. ‘Dynamic stabilization’ is the term used by Segway to describe this behaviour. The unique process that allows the Segway HT to balance on just two wheels has been patented.
His first invention, while still a college undergraduate, was the infusion pump. In 1976 he went on to found his first medical device company, AutoSyringe, Inc, which was later bought by Baxter International Corporation. He is the founder of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, a company that specializes in developing internally generated inventions and providing R&D support to major corporate clients such as Baxter and Johnson & Johnson.
One of his humanitarian projects would be the Stirling engine, which intends to generate power while being a water purification system. If successful, this device would be a ‘god send’ to the people in developing countries, where electricity and clean water are scarce.
In 2002, he received the coveted Lemelson-MIT prize (see previous post on Lemelson) for the invention of the infusion pump for diabetics and the Segway Human Transporter.
His Challenge
In America today, most kids are engrossed in sport and aspire to be like their Sports heroes one day. Very few find heroes in scientists and engineers. Dean Kamen is trying his best to change this frame of mind by organizing large scale events that promote science and engineering. He founded the robotics organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a multinational, non profit organization that intends to make math, science and technology as cool and appealing to school kids as sport and showbiz is. FIRST organizes the FIRST Robotics Competition every year, in which high school children work enthusiastically with engineers and scientists from sponsored and volunteer companies to design, assemble and build robots capable of doing specific tasks. More than 70,000 kids were involved in the last year with FIRST projects. According to statistics students involved with FIRST projects are more likely to attend college, aspire to obtain a post-graduate degree and major in either science or engineering.
In a time and age when most school kids find engineering to be either “intimidating” or “uninteresting”, Dean Kamen’s initiative to rejuvenate the dying passion towards science and engineering is perhaps why he is been called ‘the Pied Piper of Technology’.
Links
http://www.dekaresearch.com/aboutDean.html
