Dean Kamen
As an inventor, physicist and entrepreneur, Dean Kamen has dedicated his life to developing technologies that help people lead better lives. As an inventor, he holds more than 440 international patents, many of them for innovative medical devices that have expanded the frontiers of health care. Some notable breakthrough devices include the first wearable infusion pump, which rapidly gained acceptance from medical specialties such as chemotherapy, neonatology and endocrinology, where it provides the basis for first insulin pump. Another noted invention is the Independence® IBOT® 4000 Mobility System, a sophisticated all-terrain electric wheelchair. Dean is recognized as the inventor of the Segway® Human Transporter, which was designed to provide a clean alternative for short-distance travel and enhance people's productivity. One of Dean's newest projects is a water purification system that is being designed to help provide clean drinking water to the estimated 1.1 billion people in the world who lack access to clean water.
Dean is a tireless advocate for science and technology. His roles as inventor and advocate are intertwined-his own passion for technology and its practical uses has driven his personal determination to spread the word about technology's virtues and by so doing to change the culture of the United States. One of Dean's proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and enjoy science and technology. The FIRST Robotics Competition teams professionals and young people to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way; in the 2008/09 season, more than 137,000 children in 42 countries participated.
In 2000, Dean was awarded the National Medal of Technology. Presented by President Clinton, this award was in recognition for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide and for innovative and imaginative leadership in awakening America to the excitement of science and technology. Dean was also awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005.