Dean Kamen: Innovator, Inventor, and Advocate for Science Education
Dean Kamen is an American engineer, inventor, and businessman, best known for his groundbreaking inventions and his dedication to promoting science and technology education among young people. He has made significant contributions to various fields, including medicine, transportation, and environmental science, with inventions like the portable peritoneal dialysis machine, the stair-climbing Independence iBOT Mobility System, and the Segway Human Transporter.
Early Life and Education
Dean Lawrence Kamen was born on April 5, 1951, in Rockville Center, New York, to Jack Kamen and Evelyn Kamen (born Rothenberg). His family is Jewish. Kamen's father was an illustrator for Mad, Weird Science, and other EC Comics publications. Even in his teenage years, Kamen was already earning money from his ideas, building light and sound systems for local bands and museums.
Kamen did not do well in school. His teachers considered him to be a slow learner. Kamen attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he studied engineering. However, he left before completing his degree. During his sophomore year, he became interested in medical technologies, inspired by his brother’s experiences in medical school.
Medical Breakthroughs and AutoSyringe
Kamen's interest in medical technology led him to develop the first of his many medical breakthroughs. He focused on a problem with drug delivery, specifically, how to enable controlled drug delivery over long periods of time. He developed the first of his many medical breakthroughs. The result of his effort was a pocket-sized, wearable, programmable infusion pump that delivered small, accurate doses of medicine, such as insulin. The device allowed patients who were accustomed to being confined to become mobile and live normal lives. In particular, it allowed diabetic women to deliver babies without great risk. The medical community quickly adopted the infusion pumps for use with a variety of medical conditions.
He then founded his own company, called AutoSyringe, to sell his medication device. In 1981, he sold the firm to Baxter International Corp.
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DEKA Research & Development
In 1982, Kamen started DEKA Research and Development Corp., a core institution for his ideas and research. Kamen's first and last names: DEan KAmen. DEKA's facilities sprawl along the banks of the Merrimack River. At DEKA, Kamen continued to develop innovative projects.
With DEKA, Kamen created a portable kidney dialysis machine called HomeChoice that earned him Design News’ award for "Medical Product of the Year" in 1993. Regulating flow by controlled air pressure rather than by counting drops in a drip chamber, it uses minimal moving parts. The result is a device that is virtually flawless, but also portable, disposable, and affordable. In fact, diabetics can now dialyze at home while they sleep. Among the many other notable inventions launched by DEKA are the Hydroflex Irrigation Pump, an irrigation pumping system; an improved flexible stent; and the Independence iBOT Mobility System, a self-balancing mobility device.
The iBOT and Independence IBOT Mobility System
Revealed in 1999, the iBOT is a battery-powered wheelchair built from sensors, microprocessors, and gyroscopes that allows users to climb stairs and negotiate sand, rocks, and curbs. The device can stand upright on two wheels, empowering handicapped people to see and move at eye-level. The wheelchair can handle various types of terrain, for example sand, gravel, or grass.
The Segway Human Transporter
In 2001, Kamen and his team at DEKA unveiled the Segway Human Transporter (HT). The Segway is an electric powered personal transportation machine that moves by shifts in one's body weight. The Segway PT is an electric, self-balancing human transporter with a computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system. The device is balanced on two parallel wheels and is controlled by moving body weight. It has no brake (though it can be charged), and no steering wheel.
The Segway weighs about 250 pounds and can carry cargo up to 75 pounds. It can travel up to 17 miles an hour. The Segway's technology means it cannot tip over when a person is riding it. Sensors and computer chips together pick up tiny shifts in the rider's movements. The Segway does what you want it to do.
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Kamen had high hopes for the Segway. He envisioned people using them in cities. However, the Segway did not achieve the widespread adoption Kamen had hoped for. By 2003, six thousand machines had been sold. There were reports of people falling off their Segways when the machines' batteries went low. Some cities banned people from riding Segways on city sidewalks.
Water Purification and the Slingshot
Kamen has also focused on developing solutions for clean water. Kamen has worked extensively on a project involving Stirling engine designs, attempting to create two machines: one that would generate power, and the Slingshot that would serve as a water purification system. He hopes the project will help improve living standards in developing countries.
The Slingshot is designed to produce efficient power that was clean and quiet. Kamen is predicting the success of his water purifier, nicknamed the Slingshot. The Slingshot can turn contaminated water into clean water via a distilling process. It can purify virtually any water source, including salt water, river water, and even sewage. It can even purify dung. The Slingshot can produce approximately 2.5 gallons of drinking water an hour. Kamen has traveled to countries like Honduras, Iraq, and Bangladesh to demonstrate his system.
FIRST: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology
Along with his inventing and business endeavors, Kamen is committed to education for young people. In 1986, he founded Science Enrichment Encounters ("SEE"), an interactive learning center in Manchester, New Hampshire, which is now visited by over 40,000 children per year.
In 1989, Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization intended to build students' interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). FIRST is to get young people excited about technology. The organization conducts an annual national robotics competition that has become somewhat legendary. It also launched the FIRST LEGO League competitions.
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FIRST sponsors robotics competitions. FIRST is to get young people excited about technology. The FIRST competition involves teams. During the competitions, teams build robots and face off in regional and national games. The teams eagerly anticipate the next one. These are games of skill, except in robotics, the game changes every year. Teams must design and program their robots to perform to win the most points. FIRST provides costs and technical support to help build the actual robot.
At regional competitions the atmosphere is charged. Spectators fill the stands and root for their favorite players. Announcers and referees broadcast during the matches. Cooperation is encouraged. Students learn from each other and help each other out during the match. The team that performs best takes the title. Even if you do not, you come away knowing that you're probably going to fail at least some of the time.
FIRST has become a significant force in promoting STEM education, inspiring countless students to pursue careers in science and engineering. Kamen views FIRST as one of his proudest creations. FIRST helps get young people excited about technology. FIRST aims to create heroes who inspire others.
Other Ventures
In 2017, Kamen founded the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) and launched BioFabUSA, a Manufacturing USA Innovation Institute with an $80 million grant from the Department of Defense.
Awards and Recognition
Kamen, who serves as President of DEKA, has been honored with a variety of awards for his work, including:
- The Kilby Award in 1994
- The Hoover Medal in 1995
- The Heinz Award in Technology in 1998
- The Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002. He donated his $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize money to FIRST.
- A National Medal of Technology in 2000, presented by President Clinton
- Induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005 for his invention of the AutoSyringe
- The Global Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations in 2006
- The Stevens Honor Award in 2009
- The James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award in 2013
He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1997 for inventing and commercializing biomedical devices and fluid measurement and control systems, and for popularizing engineering among young people.
Kamen also holds numerous U.S. and foreign patents.
Personal Life
In 2007, his residence was a hexagonal, shed style mansion he dubbed Westwind, located in Bedford, New Hampshire, just outside Manchester. Kamen owns and pilots an Embraer Phenom 300 light jet aircraft and three Enstrom helicopters, including a 280FX, a 480, and a 480B. He regularly commutes to work via his helicopters and had a hangar built into his house.
