Dean Kamen, the "pied piper of technology," to speak at Case Western Reserve University October 14
September 23, 2005 | For more information: Laura M. Massie (216)-368-4442
If you've ever seen someone zipping around the streets on a motorized, two-wheeled scooter that looks more like those old-fashioned, hand-pushed lawn mowers, chances are it's the Segway HT, or "Human Transporter," invented by Dean Kamen. Kamen, an innovator, inventor and entrepreneur, will deliver the Allen H. Ford Distinguished Lecture at Case Western Reserve University on Friday, October 14 at 12:30 p.m. at Strosacker Auditorium on the Case Quad.
The lecture is part of Case's alumni weekend and celebration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Case School of Applied Science, now the Case School of Engineering. Kamen's talk is free and open to the public. A reception immediately follows the lecture and Q&A in Nord Hall on the Case Quad. For more information, contact Case's department of biomedical engineering at (216) 368-4063. Register to attend online at http://www.case.edu/events/kamen/.
A tireless advocate for science and technology, Kamen is probably most well-known to the public from the attention surrounding the product that eventually became known as the Segway HT—a kind of electric scooter with a complex, computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system that keeps the device balanced on two horizontally-placed wheels and controlled by body weight.
Because of his skill and expertise as an inventor, Kamen was dubbed the "Pied Piper of Technology" by Smithsonian Magazine. He holds more than 150 U.S. and foreign patents, many of them for innovative medical devices that have expanded the frontiers of health care worldwide. While still a college undergraduate, he invented the first wearable infusion pump, which rapidly gained acceptance from such diverse medical specialties as chemotherapy, neonatology and endocrinology.
In 1976, at age 25, he founded his first medical device company, AutoSyringe, Inc., to manufacture and market the pumps. At age 30, he sold that company to Baxter International Corp. By then, he had added a number of other infusion devices, including the first insulin pump for diabetics. Following the sale of AutoSyringe, he founded DEKA Research & Development Corp. to develop internally generated inventions as well as to provide the R&D for major corporate clients. Recent projects have included the HomeChoice dialysis machine, developed for Baxter and named Design News' 1993 Medical Product of the Year. Other inventions include the INDEPENDENCE iBOT Mobility System, also developed for Johnson & Johnson.
In 1989, Kamen founded the robotics organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), for high school students. FIRST uses wholesale marketing and media techniques to motivate the next generation to want to learn about science and technology. As a result, each of the past three national championships of the FIRST robotics competition, which teams up professional engineers with high school students from across the country, has set a new record as the largest non-Disney event ever held at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center.
During his impressive career Kamen has won numerous awards. In April 2002, Kamen was awarded the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventors for his invention of the Segway and of the infusion pump for diabetics. 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 President Bill Clinton.
Throughout the 2005-2006 academic year, Case will honor its tradition of excellence in engineering education, research and service as the university celebrates the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Case School of Applied Science. The centerpiece event of this campus-wide celebration will be this year's Alumni Weekend and Homecoming, October 14-16. For more information on Case's year-long celebration of 125 years of engineering and science, visit http://www.engineering.case.edu/125.
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
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