Dean Kamen On Colbert Report: Segway Inventor Has New Device For Injured Troops (VIDEO)

Last night on the Colbert Report, Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, showed off a new advanced prosthetic arm he's developed to help people with missing limbs -- specifically injured U.S. troops.

Kamen explains how he ended up developing the remarkable technology, which allows users to control the thumb on the prosthetic hand, enabling them to pick up small items and grip sensitive objects without breaking them.

Kamen showed very touching footage of a soldier using the device to feed himself for the first 19 years. (Colbert, of course, couldn't resist poking some fun of Kamen, observing at the beginning of the interview: "Let's talk about what you're wearing there -- you have a denim shirt and jeans.")

WATCH: (scroll down further for Kamen's TED talk)

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Comments

[Barbie and Ken forever]

12:16 AM on 05/02/2010

This was just amazing!!!!! :D

[Christine Ehlers]

03:19 PM on 04/09/2010

PLEASE, each of us has to watch this. It is a gift to us all. So inspirational. WOW!!!

[bigfun]

06:15 PM on 04/06/2010

there's a subtle self-congratulatory undercurrent to this guy's way of speaking that makes me want to punch him, though i do support what he does.

[GiantCrab]

08:53 PM on 04/06/2010

I know what you are saying.

When he came out with the Segway, he was talking about it like no one is ever going to walk ever again because of how awesome the segway was.

But I still think he is an amazing person.

[santiago sherwood]

03:48 PM on 04/08/2010

there is an arrogance that ruins his achievement, I love the creativity but even Jobs at apple lacks social graces, it does not make him less brilliant

[redcelt]

05:59 PM on 04/06/2010

What a great story. Thanks.

[buddhistmonk]

05:46 PM on 04/06/2010

Dean Kamen is a genius. I think he is also working on a small box that produces fresh water from almost nothing. He is amazing.

Wish he would run NASA. We probably would be living on mars already with aliens.

Keep up the great work Dean! We love ya!

[GiantCrab]

05:36 PM on 04/06/2010

Yea, but is it as good as an "Ipad?"

[SwingingFromCenter]

01:11 PM on 04/08/2010

A rock is better than an iPad.

[TheTrueScholar]

05:13 PM on 04/06/2010

I am proud to say that I met Dean Kamen several years ago at one of the FRC (FIRST) events. It was a pleasure to meet him. He is a great man to be honest.

[Ishmael1]

03:40 PM on 04/06/2010

If you want to see other inventions of Kamen's, check out "The Iconoclasts" series where he's interviewed by Isabella Rossellini. He sows off a gyro-stabilized wheelchair that can climb stairs and allow the rider to balance upright as well as a portable water-purification device that will make clean drinkable water from the worst liquid sludge imaginable. It IS noce to see someone using his wealth and restless mind to SOLVE problems instead of creating more of them.

[feed the enemy]

03:38 PM on 04/06/2010

Amazing - this guy is a hero!

[Fudgefase]

03:29 PM on 04/06/2010

Absolutely fantastic.

[BannedFromCommenting]

03:26 PM on 04/06/2010

Why do these lame embedded players not work in IE8 or Mozilla?

[Ameriki]

04:26 PM on 04/06/2010

If you are at work as I am, your company is blocking the videos to reduce the load on the company network. It would be considerate of HP to post the links to the videos along with the embeds.

[Proud2BIndy]

03:10 PM on 04/06/2010

That interview was so powerful it put a lump in me throat. I too believe NOTHING is too good for those who sacrifice life and limb for our country. NOTHING.

[Barbie and Ken forever]

12:16 AM on 05/02/2010

Agreed

[Elbrando]

03:02 PM on 04/06/2010

This is why education will not be the salvation of our country, but our species.

[Barbie and Ken forever]

12:16 AM on 05/02/2010

Agreed

[Thunderbird2]

02:58 PM on 04/06/2010

Dean, you are a true American. We need a knighthood or an American simile for this man. Fantastic work.

[Proud2BIndy]

03:10 PM on 04/06/2010

Agreed!

[MAJK]

04:11 PM on 04/06/2010

Exactly. Dean has created some amazing products (kidney dialysis machine, "stand-up" wheelchairs and now this) and of course the nerdy Segway (which by the way, is still an amazing machine, regardless of its practicality)

[ilovecandy]

02:41 PM on 04/06/2010

Good invention for a good cause