October 6, 2002
Inventor, physicist and entrepreneur Dean Kamen was presented with an honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Hartford at a ceremony in Lincoln Theater on Tuesday evening, Oct. 8. Kamen, who was the first speaker in the University’s Fall 2002 Rogow Distinguished Visiting Lecturers Program, delivered his entire lecture while riding his latest invention, the SegwayTM Human Transporter (HT), the first self-balancing, electric-powered personal transportation device.
With dimensions no larger than the average adult body and the ability to emulate human balance, the Segway HT uses the same space as a pedestrian and can go wherever a person can walk. The Segway HT will allow people at home and at work to go farther, move more quickly, and increase the amount they can carry anywhere they currently walk. A Segway HT transforms a person into an empowered pedestrian. On a broader level, the Segway HT has the potential to help urban communities transition to more livable environments and business enterprises to transition to more productive entities.
"Life is short and people should think about two things when it comes to what they do with their lives – they should do something important and they should have fun doing it," he told the sold-out crowd.
Kamen was honored for inventions that have revolutionized healthcare technology and for his leadership in awakening America to the exciting possibilities of technology. He holds more than 150 U.S. and foreign patents, many of which are for medical devices, such as the first wearable infusion pump for use in chemotherapy, neonatology, and endocrinology. Other groundbreaking medical inventions include the first insulin pump for diabetics, the portable dialysis machine, and the IBOTTM Mobility System, a battery-powered wheelchair capable of climbing stairs and standing upright.
Kamen also spoke at length about one of his proudest accomplishments, the founding of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and enjoy science and technology. The annual FIRST Robotics Competition teams professional engineers with high school students nationwide, providing mentors and advisers to work with the students on their projects.
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