Indian-American scientist bags innovation award worth $500,000

September 15, 2016 02:16 am | Updated November 01, 2016 06:31 pm IST - Washington:

Ramesh Raskar honoured for mentoring young people in technology

An Indian-origin scientist has bagged the prestigious Lemelson–MIT Prize worth $500,000 for his groundbreaking work to improve lives globally.

Nasik-born Ramesh Raskar, 46, is founder of the Camera Culture research group at the MIT Media Lab and an Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences.

“Raskar is the winner of the 2016 USD 500,000 Lemelson–MIT Prize for his groundbreaking inventions, commitment to youth mentorship, and dedication to improving our world with practical yet innovative solutions,” a media release stated.

With more than 75 patents to his name, and having written more than 120 reviewed publications, Mr. Raskar is the co-inventor of radical imaging solutions including Femto-photography, an ultra-fast imaging system that can see around corners; low-cost eye-care solutions for the developing world; and a camera that allows users to read pages of a book without opening the cover.

Catalysing change Seeking to catalyse change on a massive scale by launching platforms that empower inventors to create solutions to improve lives globally, he combines the best of the academic and entrepreneurial worlds to achieve milestones in improving the lives and health of people in industrial and developing societies, the announcement said.

The annual Lemelson–MIT Prize honours outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). “Raskar is a multi-faceted leader as an inventor, educator, change maker and exemplar connector. In addition to creating his own remarkable inventions, he is working to connect communities and inventors all over the world to create positive change,” said Stephanie Couch, executive director of the Lemelson–MIT Program.

Mr. Raskar told MIT News that he plans to use a portion of the prize money to launch a new effort using peer-to-peer invention platforms to help young people in different countries to collaborate. “Everyone has the power to solve problems and through peer-to-peer co-invention and purposeful collaboration, we can solve problems that will impact billions of lives,” he said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.