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Inventors Interview with Daniel DiLorenzo

The 1999 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize Winner

Daniel DiLorenzo Photo credit: L. Barry HetheringtonFebruary 11, 1999 -- MD/PhD student Daniel DiLorenzo of Fort Washington, Maryland, was announced as the 1999 recipient of the annual $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness.

DiLorenzo won the award which is open only to MIT graduating seniors and graduate students, for his commitment to the research and development of innovations in the health sciences arena and for a track record of creating novel devices and technologies in his field. The Lemelson-MIT Student Prize is awarded to an MIT student who demonstrates remarkable inventiveness and who serves as a role model for aspiring young inventors.

The inventor is finishing his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at MIT in the area of neuroscience and implantable devices. He is also completing his MD in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, an MD program jointly administered by MIT and Harvard. A student at MIT since 1984, DiLorenzo earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering. His background also includes work in robotics, medical devices, entrepreneurship and the management of technology.

Inventors: What's it like being chosen as the "inventor role model" for 1999?

DiLorenzo: It is a distinct honor to have been selected by the Lemelson-MIT Program as a role model for inventiveness. I have been very fortunate to have had many exceptional mentors and advisors, and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to serve the next generation.

    The mission of the Lemelson-MIT Program is to create role models (particularly for children), to demonstrate that inventing and science can be rewarding and fascinating careers. Inventing is not only intellectually challenging and fun, it offers the potential for substantial financial reward; for the inventor, for those in business who help to create useful products from the technology, and for the economy and society as a whole who benefit from technology and the enhanced quality of life it provides.

Inventors: How have you been working to inspire young inventors?

DiLorenzo: The Lemelson-MIT Program judges felt that my pattern of inventing which started in grade school could serve as a good role model for children who also were creative and had an interest in designing and building things. Their emphasis is that one is never too young to start inventing, and that inventing can lead to a rewarding career.

Inventors: You already hold two patents with two more pending, which of all your inventions are you most proud of?

DiLorenzo: My first robot was extremely fun to design and build. I was in 7th grade when I started and spent a full year on it. The hands were the most interesting and challenging part to design and build; they had five fingers, including an opposable thumb, with flexor and extensor tendons, and each of the digits matched the dimensions of my own hands. There were many times along the way where it looked like I might fail, and overcoming those hurdles taught me the value of creativity and persistence.

    The walking robot I built in 12th grade was very challenging and rewarding. The robot has 4 legs each with a 2-degree of freedom hip and a knee, and it measures approximately 4 feet long, 3 feet wide and 2.5 feet high. The first version was manually controlled, for my Bachelor's thesis at MIT, I designed and built a digital control system which enabled the robot to walk by itself. That required dozens of allnighters to get working and was one of the most rewarding projects, I have done.

   Applying technology to helping people offers even more potential challenge and satisfaction. I had the opportunity to work with Prof. William K. Durfee on developing a computer-controlled functional electrical stimulation (FES) system to restore gait to paraplegics. Under his guidance, I designed and built a system which enabled a paraplegic to walk 60 feet while holding handrails for balancing. This was an incredibly rewarding experience. I must add that although we and others in our group made significant progress, much more remains to be done before such devices are ready for widespread clinical use, and there are many other exceptional researchers and clinicians currently working in this area.

Inventors: What has been the greatest challenge getting your ideas to realization?

DiLorenzo: It is important to be both creative and persistent, to always try to think of a better way to solve a problem. Above all, you have to be passionate about your work. Regardless of how good your idea is, that is just a starting point; then it's time to relentlessly hammer away until your idea actually works.

Inventors: What is the one thing you think the world needs most to have invented?

DiLorenzo: That is a tough one. There are so many needs out there and so many potential ways to do things better. How about immortality? Perhaps cures or effective treatments for debilitating diseases, such as Spinal Cord Injury, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Psychiatric disease, cardiac disease, and others. I don't think we will run out of a need for worthwhile inventions or discoveries for centuries to come. It is important to realize that the technologies and quality of life that we enjoy today is the result of the great innovations of our predecessors, and we need to inspire future generations to embrace these challenges and continuously improve the quality of life for all of humanity.

Further Reading

1998 Winner
Akhil Madhani, inventor of the Black Falcon robotic device designed to facilitate minimally invasive surgery.

1997 Winner
Nathan Kane's inventions include an air supply mask with a self-retracting hose for increased worker mobility, low-distortion bellow folds for industrial machines.

1996 Winner
David Levy founded his own company, TH, Inc. ("think"), to market and develop inventions such as the world's smallest keyboard.

1995 Winner
The first Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winner. Thomas Massie, who founded SensAble Devices to market his computer Haptic interface.

Daniel DiLorenzo
Inventor of neuroelectric systems.

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Daniel DiLorenzo Photo credit: L. Barry Hetherington
 
 

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