An Indian born scientist Ramesh Raskar has bagged the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize worth $500,000 for his groundbreaking inventions to create solutions to improve lives globally.
About Lemelson-MIT Prize :
The $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize recognizes individuals who translate their ideas into inventions that improve the world in which we live.
- The Lemelson-MIT Prize is awarded to outstanding mid-career inventors, who have developed a patented product or process of significant value to society, which has been adopted for practical use, or has a high probability of being adopted.
- The Lemelson-MIT Prize seeks to highlight the pivotal role inventive activity plays in the achievement of positive social, cultural and economic goals.
The objectives of the Lemelson-MIT Prize are to:
i.recognize and reward America’s outstanding mid-career inventors
ii.celebrate individuals who enhance economic opportunity and community well-being through their inventive work and who have global perspective
iii.increase awareness and foster the work of inventors and the potential for commercialization and wider adoption of their inventions
iv.promote role models who can inspire young people to pursue creative lives and careers
There are three stages to the nomination process:Initial, First, and Final Submissions.
Reviews are conducted between the Initial and First Submission stages to determine if your nomination will proceed.
- A small number of nominations will progress to the Final Submission, which includes two letters of recommendation in addition to the nominator’s. Nominators should identify and reach-out to potential letter writers early in the nomination process but not secure the letters unless their nominee is advanced to the Final Submission stage.
2016 Award Winner :-
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.
- Ramesh Raskar is the winner of the 2016 $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for his groundbreaking inventions, commitment to youth mentorship, and dedication to improving our world with practical yet innovative solutions.
- The annual Lemelson-MIT Prize honors outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
- 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.
- 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.
- It is noted that Ramesh 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.
- 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.