![Dean Kamen, the founder of DEKA Research, whose mysterious invention nicknamed "Ginger" or "It" sparked an explosion of media coverage in early 2001, smiles as he speaks to graduates May 19, 2001 Dean Kamen, the founder of DEKA Research, whose mysterious invention nicknamed "Ginger" or "It" sparked an explosion of media coverage in early 2001, smiles as he speaks to graduates May 19, 2001](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D3Y1R0/dean-kamen-the-founder-of-deka-research-whose-mysterious-invention-nicknamed-ginger-or-it-sparked-an-explosion-of-media-coverage-in-early-2001-smiles-as-he-speaks-to-graduates-may-19-2001-at-babson-colleges-commencement-in-wellesley-massachusetts-kamen-has-avoided-public-appearances-and-refused-to-speak-to-most-media-since-the-revelation-of-some-information-about-his-forthcoming-invention-2D3Y1R0.jpg)
Dean Kamen, the founder of DEKA Research, whose mysterious invention nicknamed "Ginger" or "It" sparked an explosion of media coverage in early 2001, smiles as he speaks to graduates May 19, 2001
![Dean Kamen, Segway's inventor and President of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, at our TEDMED 2011 stand – Erdem Erdemir Dean Kamen, Segway's inventor and President of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, at our TEDMED 2011 stand – Erdem Erdemir](https://my.vanderbilt.edu/stormlab/files/2013/01/Nashville_Fall2011-114.jpg)
Dean Kamen, Segway's inventor and President of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, at our TEDMED 2011 stand – Erdem Erdemir
![Dean Kamen, inventor of Segways, builds DEKA Arm, a much better prosthetic limb, and it is now FDA approved. Dean Kamen, inventor of Segways, builds DEKA Arm, a much better prosthetic limb, and it is now FDA approved.](http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/business_insider/2014/05/11/deka_arm.jpg.CROP.promo-mediumlarge.jpg)
Dean Kamen, inventor of Segways, builds DEKA Arm, a much better prosthetic limb, and it is now FDA approved.
![Dean Kamen, the founder of DEKA Research whose mysterious invention nicknamed "Ginger" or "It" sparked widespread media coverage in early 2001, waits to speak to graduates May 19, 2001 at Babson College's Dean Kamen, the founder of DEKA Research whose mysterious invention nicknamed "Ginger" or "It" sparked widespread media coverage in early 2001, waits to speak to graduates May 19, 2001 at Babson College's](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D3BH3X/dean-kamen-the-founder-of-deka-research-whose-mysterious-invention-nicknamed-ginger-or-it-sparked-widespread-media-coverage-in-early-2001-waits-to-speak-to-graduates-may-19-2001-at-babson-colleges-commencement-in-wellesley-massachusetts-kamen-has-avoided-public-appearances-and-refused-to-speak-to-most-media-since-the-revelation-of-some-information-about-his-forthcoming-invention-jrbjp-2D3BH3X.jpg)