Dean Kamen was born on Long Island, New York in 1951. His father is Jack Kamen, an illustrator for "Mad," "Weird Science," and other EC Comics publications. During his teenage years, Kamen was already being paid for his ideas; local bands and museums paid him to build light and sound systems. His annual earnings reached $60,000 before high school graduation.

Kamen is best known for inventing the product that eventually became known as the Segway, an electric, self-balancing human transporter with a computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system. The device is balanced on two parallel wheels and is controlled by moving body weight.

Kamen was already a successful inventor: his company Auto Syringe manufactures and markets the first drug infusion pump. His company DEKA also holds patents for the technology used in portable dialysis machines, an insulin pump, and an all-terrain electric wheelchair known as the iBOT, using many of the same gyroscopic balancing technologies that later made their way into the Segway.

Along with Dr. Woodie Flowers of MIT, Kamen began the FIRST {For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology} Robotics competition for students to inspire STEM {Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics} education through competitions throughout the world. This enormously successful program has involved and directed many thousands of students in STEM education. Kamen considers it to his proudest legacy.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org