Getting to Know the Ibot
Getting to Know the iBotTM
1. Who is Dean Kamen?
Dean L. Kamen (born April 5, 1951) is an American entrepreneur and inventor from New Hampshire. Born in Rockville Centre, New York, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but dropped out before graduating after five years of private advanced research for drug infusion pump AutoSyringe. He is the son of Jack Kamen, an illustrator for Mad, Weird Science and other EC Comics publications. Kamen is best known for inventing the product that eventually became known as the Segway PT, an electric, self-balancing human transporter with a sophisticated, computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system. The device balances on two parallel wheels and is controlled by moving body weight. The machine's development was the object of much speculation and hype after segments of a book quoting Steve Jobs and other notable IT visionaries espousing its society-revolutionizing potential were leaked in December 2001.
Dean's more recent inventions include: the HomeChoice™ dialysis machine, developed for Baxter (Design News' 1993 Medical Product of the Year), the Crown Stent designed for Johnson & Johnson, and the latest invention, the Independence™ 3000 IBOT™ Transporter, also developed for Johnson & Johnson.
2. Why did he invent the iBotTM?
Kamen invented the iBot when he saw a young man struggling to get his wheelchair up on a curb. He wanted to figure out a way to make it possible for people in wheelchairs to have the ability to enjoy as normal of a life as possible.
It can climb stairs, traverse sandy and rocky terrain and raise its user to eye-level with a standing person.
3. What are the iBot’sTM different operating functions?
The iBOT has five different mobility modes. The first of which is standard function, in which the iBOT functions as a normal wheelchair, allowing its users to navigate normal interior conditions, traverse slight inclines, and go over such surfaces
1. Who is Dean Kamen?
Dean L. Kamen (born April 5, 1951) is an American entrepreneur and inventor from New Hampshire. Born in Rockville Centre, New York, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but dropped out before graduating after five years of private advanced research for drug infusion pump AutoSyringe. He is the son of Jack Kamen, an illustrator for Mad, Weird Science and other EC Comics publications. Kamen is best known for inventing the product that eventually became known as the Segway PT, an electric, self-balancing human transporter with a sophisticated, computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system. The device balances on two parallel wheels and is controlled by moving body weight. The machine's development was the object of much speculation and hype after segments of a book quoting Steve Jobs and other notable IT visionaries espousing its society-revolutionizing potential were leaked in December 2001.
Dean's more recent inventions include: the HomeChoice™ dialysis machine, developed for Baxter (Design News' 1993 Medical Product of the Year), the Crown Stent designed for Johnson & Johnson, and the latest invention, the Independence™ 3000 IBOT™ Transporter, also developed for Johnson & Johnson.
2. Why did he invent the iBotTM?
Kamen invented the iBot when he saw a young man struggling to get his wheelchair up on a curb. He wanted to figure out a way to make it possible for people in wheelchairs to have the ability to enjoy as normal of a life as possible.
It can climb stairs, traverse sandy and rocky terrain and raise its user to eye-level with a standing person.
3. What are the iBot’sTM different operating functions?
The iBOT has five different mobility modes. The first of which is standard function, in which the iBOT functions as a normal wheelchair, allowing its users to navigate normal interior conditions, traverse slight inclines, and go over such surfaces