Dean Kamen is an inventor and designer who holds more than 400 U.S. patents. His company, DEKA, has produced the Segway, the iBOT walking wheelchair, the Slingshot water purification system, and the “Luke” prosthetic arm. His ongoing program FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) sponsors science competitions for high school students.

In Glimmer: Kamen takes readers through his work on the iBot as well as the highly-advanced prosthetic arm he’s designing for the U.S. military. And he talks about what keeps him awake at night.

Quote: “Designers look at the same reality as everyone else does, but we see it a little differently. Just because something is a reality today, we know that doesn’t mean it has to be a reality tomorrow.”

TED Talk: Kamen previews the amazing “Luke” prosthetic arm. (Mar. 2007)

Website: http://www.dekaresearch.com

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