Dean Kamen
Inventor of the Segway and founder of the FIRST robotics competition
- Age
- 75 yrs
- Birthday in 150 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Personal transporter, Wheelchair
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 2002
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Dean Kamen is an American inventor and entrepreneur best known for the Segway personal transporter and for founding FIRST, a worldwide robotics competition for students. His company DEKA has developed medical devices including portable insulin pumps, dialysis machines and the stair-climbing iBOT wheelchair.
Biography
Early inventions
While a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which he left before graduating, Kamen invented a wearable drug-infusion pump. His company AutoSyringe made infusion and insulin pumps and was sold to Baxter.
DEKA
In 1982 he founded DEKA Research & Development in Manchester, New Hampshire. Its inventions include a portable home dialysis machine, the iBOT wheelchair that can climb stairs and the “Luke” prosthetic arm developed for DARPA.
The Segway
Unveiled in 2001 amid huge hype, the self-balancing Segway transporter used gyroscopes and computers to stay upright. It found niche uses with police and tourists but never transformed transport as predicted; production ended in 2020.
FIRST
In 1989 Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), which runs robotics competitions involving hundreds of thousands of students worldwide. He received the National Medal of Technology in 2000.
Timeline
-
1951
Born in Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York, United States
-
1976
Founds AutoSyringe
-
1982
Founds DEKA
-
1989
Founds FIRST
-
1999
iBOT wheelchair unveiled
-
2000
National Medal of Technology
-
2001
Segway unveiled
-
2005
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Notable works
-
2001
Segway PT Personal transporter
-
1999
iBOT Wheelchair
Awards and honours
-
Heinz Award
1999
-
National Medal of Technology
2000
-
Lemelson–MIT Prize
2002
Did you know?
-
1
He lives on an island he declared the “Kingdom of North Dumpling” off Connecticut, as a joke.
-
2
He holds hundreds of patents.
-
3
FIRST’s founding competition was held in a high-school gym in 1992.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Dean Kamen?
Dean Kamen is an American inventor and entrepreneur best known for the Segway personal transporter and for founding FIRST, a worldwide robotics competition for students. His company DEKA has developed medical devices including portable insulin pumps, dialysis machines and the stair-climbing iBOT wheelchair.
How old is Dean Kamen?
Dean Kamen is 75 years old, born on 5 April 1951 in Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York, United States.
Where is Dean Kamen from?
Dean Kamen was born in Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York, United States.
What is Dean Kamen known for?
Dean Kamen is best known for Segway PT; portable insulin pump; iBOT wheelchair; FIRST robotics; DEKA Research.
What awards has Dean Kamen received?
Notable honours include Heinz Award (1999), National Medal of Technology (2000), Lemelson–MIT Prize (2002).
References
- Dean Kamen — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Dean Kamen — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Dean Kamen — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Dean Kamen (Q720457) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Dean Kamen”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Dean Kamen.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/dean-kamen
Discussion 0
Sign in or create an account to join the discussion.
No comments yet — be the first.
More in Technology
Technology
Sachin Bansal
Co-founder of Flipkart and founder of Navi
Born 1981
Technology
Satya Nadella
Chairman and CEO of Microsoft
Born 1967
Technology
Nandan Nilekani
Infosys co-founder and architect of Aadhaar
Born 1955
Technology
Ritesh Agarwal
Founder of the hotel chain OYO
Technology
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Founder of the digital payments company Paytm
Born 1978
Technology
Sundar Pichai
CEO of Google and Alphabet
Born 1972