DEAN KAMENInventor, Entrepreneur, Visionary,

and Activist

Quentin HeffellCOMP 1631Winter 2011

The Man Behind the Innovation

Born in 1951 in Rockville Center, Long Island, New York

Currently resides on his three-acre private Island known as “North Dumpling” off of New York and owns a home in Connecticut

A current multimillionaire and globally recognized inventor and engineer, Kamen began his career inventing before finishing his undergraduate degree

Kamen, although only average in terms of academics, was earning approximately $60,000 a year before graduating high school with his inventions and mechanical skills

The Inventor Dean Kamen today holds a total of 440 United States as

well as international patents Many of these are for medical devices improving health care on a

global scale

Kamen attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute after high school, but left before graduating to found his first company AutoSyringe Inc (1976) to support his first invention: the first wearable medical fusion pump

Kamen sold AutoSyringe Inc at the age of 30 to Baxter International Corporation with a number of newly created devices before forming DEKA Research and Development Corporation

DEKA remains in operation today undergoing research and development

Kamen’s Creations

DEKA’s efforts are focused on four principle categories:

Water Mobility Power Fluid Management

A few of Kamen’s more recognized inventions are the AutoSyringe, the iBOT, the DEKA Arm, the Stirling, the Slingshot, Homechoice PD, the Segway, and the PUMA

AutoSyringe

Product of the 1970s while completing his undergraduate degree

Born for the need for better outpatient care

This device is wearable and provides exact dosage amounts, gaining attention of chemotherapists, endocrinologists, neonatologists

Used primarily for those patients who require continuous low doses of medication

Insulin for serious diabetics, for example

iBOT

Innovative wheelchair design allowing individuals to cross almost any difficult terrain

Elevates to allow individuals to “stand” at eye level with others

Self balancing technology

DEKA Arm

Fully functional mechanical arm Allows those with arm amputations to

regain functionality Termed “Luke” in honour of Luke

Skywalker

Stirling

A device that effectively converts any type of fuel into electricity

Cow dung has been successfully used Also reduces

greenhouse gases by eliminating the methane gas this very common animal waste produces

The goal was to produce an inexpensive yet effective product that was quiet, easy to use and clean, had a long operation life, and was easy to maintain DEKA succeeded with the

Stirling system

Homechoice PD Slingshot

A peritoneal dialysis system for kidney disease patients who require frequent trips to a hospital for dialysis treatment

A cost effective and portable form of water purification

Takes any form of water and converts it into safe drinking water

Safe water remains a challenge for almost all developing countries around the globe

The Segway Company

Kamen believed the Segway Personal Transporter (PT) would replace the car as the car replaced the horse and buggy

Very “green” form of transportation

Self-balancing technology

Use of electric propulsion Software based control

of traction and brakes

Leader in development of the Lithium Ion Battery Long battery life Allows for

recharging when the machine slows down

Advanced sensory technology eliminates mechanical control

Equipped with systems that take input for speeding up, steering, stopping, and other functions

System function such as battery life, speed, etc, is conveyed via a wireless handheld device which can be attached to the dashboard

The Segway company has developed a number of models of the Segway PT, as well as other devices using similar technology such as the P.U.M.A., and the Robotic Mobility Platform (RMP)

The P.U.M.A (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessability) is, in essence, a two passenger Segway PT, that is fully enclosed and can travel up to 35 mph (GM partnership)

The RMP uses Segway technology and acts as a very durable and transformable transportation platform, useful for carrying heavy loads over a multitude of difficult terrains

Partnership

The Segway Company is also in partnership with General Motors (GM) working on the production of the P.U.M.A., and the development of the new EN-V to be released in 2030 The EN-V is designed to be energy efficient with a footprint

one third of that of a traditional vehicle New design separates the battery from the chassis area

(motors, sensors, and other electronics) allowing for higher performance

Equipped with a common interface allowing for personal connection with automated controls and social networking capabilities

New electronic sliding capability that allows passengers to alter their center of gravity

Models

Basic Segway PT model

(one of many)

Segway RMP(two models)

Segway EN-V (not yet released) – three models

Segway P.U.M.A.

Recognition and Awards Kamen has been internationally

recognized for his contribution to the world of science and technology, as well as to his advancements in the medical field Kamen received the Heinz award in

1998 for his medically advancing inventions

Kamen was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 2000 by former president Bill Clinton for his contributions to healthcare worldwide

Kamen also received the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005.

Being the FIRST In addition to overseeing DEKA and working

to further development with Segway, Kamen also devotes his passion as the founder of FIRST (Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) - 1989

Kamen founded first after being disappointed in the amount of young people idolizing music and sports stars, oblivious to the important world of science and technology

"You have teenagers thinking they're going to make millions as NBA stars when that's not realistic for even 1 percent of them. Becoming a scientist or engineer is."

-Dean Kamen

Kamen organized an enormous robotics competition (the first in 2004) which grew quickly in popularity and competitiveness

This competition brings in about 17,000 school teams each year

Kamen’s principle goal of FIRST was to educate younger generations about how to use, enjoy, and understand the importance of science and technology

Forward Thinking

With regard to future endeavours, Kamen is generally very tight lipped

Secrecy is a guaranteed way to avoid hype, which was an issue for Kamen in the past

The media hype surrounding the introduction of the Segway was greatly unmatched by product sales, as Segway PT’s have only just reached the 50,000 sale mark

Kamen, however, is open about his prospects for a green future, with plans surrounding clean energy and building solar machines at the forefront of his mind

An Environmental Concern

Kamen is continuing to work to improve the health of not only the people of Earth, but the health of the planet itself

Kamen was sparked to construct the Slingshot water purifier due to the fact that 50% of human diseases are a result of pathogens existing in impure water

Kamen leads by example with his island taking advantage of an enormous wind turbine and the Stirling system for energy, and the Slingshot for clean water

“The polar ice caps, swine flu, energy, the environment: almost every problem I can think of that's going to bite us in the ass in the years to come needs extraordinary technical achievements,“ –

Dean Kamen

References "Dean Kamen Biography - Life, Children, Parents, Name, School,

Mother, Young, Book."Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ge-La/Kamen-Dean.html>.

DEKA. 2009. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.dekaresearch.com>.

"Hall of Fame | Search | Inventor Profile." Invent Now. 2002. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/222.html.

Harris, Mark. "Segway Inventor Talks about the Future of Technology – and Why Videogames Aren't the Answer | Technology | The Guardian." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. 22 July 2009. Web. 27 Jan. 2011.<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/22/dean-kamen-interview>.

Segway The Leader in Personal, Green Transportation� . Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.segway.com>.