Panelists and Their Achievements:
Patty Moore: Internationally renowned gerontologist and designer, disguised as an elderly woman to study aging-related changes. Dean Kamen: Founder and president of DECA Research, creator of Segway, HomeChoice dialysis machine, IBOT mobility system, and FIRST (Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Kevin Serace: Chairman of Serious Materials, innovator in energy-efficient building technologies, and advocate for sustainability and entrepreneurship.

RIT’s Role in Design and Innovation:
RIT is a technical institute with a strong focus on design and art, making it a unique place for fostering innovation. The panel discussion explores the interplay between design and innovation, emphasizing RIT’s commitment to promoting creativity and problem-solving.

Theme of the Discussion:
The panel discussion focuses on the interplay between design and innovation, exploring how these two disciplines can work together to create meaningful and impactful solutions. The panel members, with their diverse backgrounds and expertise, offer valuable insights into this complex relationship.

Introduction:
The goal of the discussion is to leverage RIT’s unique assets and explore how to combine different disciplines to create a distinct brand and niche for the university. The panelists will share their philosophies and approaches to design and innovation.

Design and Innovation Philosophies:
Design encompasses not just aesthetics but also functionality and user experience. Innovation involves taking risks, challenging conventional wisdom, and finding creative solutions. Collaboration and teamwork are essential for successful design and innovation.

Case Study: Inner-City School Design Project:
A personal anecdote from one panelist highlights the power of design to transform an impoverished public school into a vibrant and engaging learning environment. The project involved engaging students in painting and creating tactile elements to fill the space with experience. The project demonstrated the importance of considering the users’ needs and creating a space that fosters creativity and engagement.

Importance of Communication and Press:
Effective communication is crucial for getting one’s message across and creating awareness for design and innovation initiatives. Press coverage can be a powerful tool for amplifying the impact of design and innovation projects. Balancing the benefits and challenges of media attention is essential.

Importance of Collaboration:
Collaboration between different disciplines and perspectives is key to successful design and innovation. Combining the expertise of geeks and artists can lead to unique and groundbreaking solutions. RIT is well-positioned to foster this type of collaboration given its diverse academic programs.

Conclusion:
The panelists emphasized the importance of taking risks, embracing failure, and valuing collaboration to drive innovation. RIT has the potential to become a leader in design and innovation by leveraging its unique strengths and fostering a culture of creativity and experimentation.

Innovation vs. Invention:
Innovation is the intersection of multiple technologies applied in a unique way to solve a problem differently. Invention is a clever use of technology to create something new.

Difficulties of Innovation:
Innovation requires overcoming resistance to change and skepticism. Societies and organizations are structured to maintain stability, which can hinder innovation. Even after proving an innovation is feasible, societal acceptance can be challenging.

Essential Element of Innovation:
Innovation requires more than proving feasibility and overcoming skepticism. The key to innovation is addressing a problem in a completely different way.

Role of Press:
Press can help spread awareness and acceptance of an innovation. However, press is not a prerequisite for innovation.

Society’s Resistance to Change:
People naturally resist change due to a genetic tendency to maintain stability. This aversion to change can be an obstacle to innovation.

Key Points:
Most people are risk-averse and prefer the familiar over the new. Even when an invention works, it takes a lot of effort to turn it into an innovation that is accepted by society. Innovations are rare, and it takes a long time for them to be accepted, typically about 20 years, which is one human generation. This is because people are reluctant to change and depend on new technologies.

Detailed Explanation:
Dean Kamen emphasizes that people are generally risk-averse and prefer the familiar over the new. Even when faced with a problem, they may not recognize it as such or believe it can be solved. Even when an invention is successful, it does not automatically become an innovation. It takes a lot of effort to make it part of society, and this process can be lengthy and challenging. Innovations are rare, and it takes a long time for them to be accepted. Kamen estimates that there have only been a handful of true innovations in recent history, such as fire, movable type, and the TV clicker. The reason for this is that people are reluctant to change and depend on new technologies. It takes about 20 years, or one human generation, for an innovation to be widely accepted. Kamen suggests that we define technology as anything that wasn’t around when we were kids. This highlights how quickly technology changes and how different generations have different perspectives on what is considered “new” or “innovative.”

Defining Innovation:
Innovation involves introducing new ideas or methods to create value. Disruptive innovation is a rare form of innovation that disrupts existing markets or society. Examples of disruptive innovation include the telephone, which changed communication, and movable type, which transformed communication methods.

Innovation in Large Companies:
Disruptive innovation often occurs in universities, startups, and rarely in large companies. Teams in larger companies tend to play it safe and avoid taking risks due to fear of failure and potential repercussions. This culture discourages thinking outside the box and leads to incremental innovation rather than disruptive innovation.

The Importance of Risk-Taking:
Innovation requires taking risks and trying new things, even if there’s a chance of failure. Corporate cultures often penalize failures, discouraging employees from taking risks and pursuing disruptive ideas. Encouraging risk-taking and rewarding innovation is crucial for fostering disruptive innovation.

The Kleenex Example:
The example of Kleenex illustrates the difference between innovation and disruptive innovation. Incremental innovation might lead to pink Kleenex, which is interesting but not disruptive. Disruptive innovation would involve rethinking the business, realizing it’s about cleaning one’s nose, and exploring new ways to solve that problem.

Disruptive Innovation and Risk-Taking:
Startups tend to be more risk-prone and willing to explore unconventional ideas, while large corporations may be more risk-averse due to the need to protect their existing infrastructure and investments. Disruptive innovation involves taking significant risks and pushing boundaries to introduce new concepts and solutions. Leaders like Steve Jobs at Apple exemplified this approach by envisioning and successfully executing disruptive products like the iPod and iPhone, which transformed entire industries.

Design-Driven Innovation and Creating New Markets:
Design-driven innovation focuses on creating bold new products and experiences that go beyond incremental improvements. This approach involves understanding customer needs and desires, and then developing products that fulfill those needs in innovative ways. Design-driven innovations don’t necessarily rely on new technologies but rather on new meanings and perspectives. Examples include the Apple iPod, which redefined the music player market, and Nintendo’s Wii, which introduced a novel way of playing video games.

Visionary Leadership and Empowerment:
Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple allowed him to drive disruptive innovations and create new markets. The board of directors granted Jobs the mandate to take risks and pursue his vision, even when it meant deviating from conventional wisdom. This level of empowerment enabled Apple to revolutionize industries and achieve remarkable success.

Design-Driven Innovation in Practice:
A Kimberly-Clark executive shares an example from 1980, where the company developed a new product category called Huggies Pull-Ups. This product combined the convenience of disposable diapers with the functionality of training pants, creating a new market for toddler potty training. The success of Huggies Pull-Ups demonstrated the power of design-driven innovation in creating new markets and meeting customer needs.

Design and Human Connection:
Design plays a vital role in making products usable and inclusive. Combining design with know-how and material technology can lead to innovative solutions that address human needs.

Challenges in Design for Adult Incontinence:
Designing products for adult incontinence is a complex task due to the sensitive nature of the topic. Early attempts to create incontinence products were met with resistance due to discomfort and lack of acceptance.

Design-Driven Innovation:
Samsung’s transformation from a company with poorly designed products to a leading brand with beautifully designed products highlights the importance of design in driving innovation. Apple’s success with the iPad and iPod demonstrated how design can enhance usability and create disruptive products.

Medical Devices and Design:
Dean Kamen’s work on medical devices, such as dialysis machines, emphasizes the need for design that improves patient dignity and quality of life. Kamen argues that focus groups are not suitable for innovation because they prioritize incremental improvements over transformative solutions.

Universal Design:
Universal design aims to create products and environments accessible to people with diverse abilities and disabilities. RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf serves as a living learning laboratory for inclusive excellence, fostering a culture of innovation and accessibility.

Universal Design and Disability:
Patty emphasizes the need for universal design to embrace people with and without disabilities by creating environments accessible to all. She challenges the term “disabled” and prefers to focus on individual capacities and abilities rather than disabilities. She believes that designing for disabilities is limiting and instead designs for capacity and ability.

Words Matter:
Patty argues against using the word “disabled” as it creates a divide and perpetuates a negative perception. She stresses the importance of focusing on the positive aspects of an individual’s life rather than perceived shortcomings.

Attitudinal Barriers:
Patty views the attitude towards capacity and individual ability as a significant barrier, akin to racism, religious intolerance, and gender bias. She calls for a shift in perspective, from seeing individuals as damaged or disabled to recognizing their desire to enhance their abilities.

Case Study: Wounded Warriors and the Luke Arm:
Patty’s work with Wounded Warriors and the Luke arm exemplifies her approach to design. She focuses on enhancing the abilities of individuals, rather than accommodating disabilities.

Conclusion:
Patty’s passion for universal design stems from her belief that everyone has unique capacities and abilities. She challenges conventional notions of disability and advocates for a positive and empowering approach to design.

Changing Words Doesn’t Solve Problems:
Dean Kamen criticizes the tendency to focus on changing words to address social issues, arguing that it does not address the root causes of the problems. He uses the example of how words like “crippled,” “handicapped,” and “disabled” have been replaced over time, yet the underlying negative connotations remain.

Focusing on Technology and Solutions:
Kamen emphasizes the importance of focusing on technology and solutions to empower individuals and improve their lives. He believes that technology can be used to design products that enable people with disabilities to live better lives and achieve greater independence.

Encounter with Wounded Soldiers:
Kamen shares his experience visiting a military hospital where he met young soldiers who had lost limbs due to IED explosions. He was inspired by their positive attitude and determination, which made him realize the need to work harder and develop better technologies to help them.

Language Can Lower Expectations:
Kamen argues that the use of certain words and labels can lead people to internalize negative stereotypes and lower their expectations for individuals with disabilities. He believes that this incrementalism can hinder progress and prevent the development of effective solutions.

ADA and the Importance of Technology:
Kamen criticizes the view that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) solves all problems related to accessibility. He shares his experience of struggling to convince government officials of the need for the iBot stair-climbing wheelchair, as they believed that ADA was sufficient.

Using Visuals to Make a Point:
Kamen describes how he created a visual representation by combining the symbol of a wheelchair with an image of a sign from the 1950s that segregated water fountains for “colored people.” He used this image to highlight the similarities between the historical discrimination against African Americans and the ongoing discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Accessibility and Discrimination:
Dean Kamen highlights the limitations of current accessibility standards, where people with disabilities are often relegated to isolated areas of public spaces, such as corners near kitchens or restrooms. Kamen emphasizes the need to change people’s expectations about what is possible and to focus on creating truly inclusive environments.

Language and Perception:
Kamen believes that the word “disabled” will eventually become as offensive as the word “crippled” due to its negative connotations. He stresses the importance of changing the language we use to describe people with disabilities to promote a more positive and respectful understanding.

Design and Ethics:
Kamen emphasizes the need for designers to consider the long-term consequences of their work and to strive for solutions that are not only functional but also ethical and sustainable. He encourages designers to ask themselves if their creations will be something they can be proud of in the future or if they will be seen as a waste of time and resources.

Sustainability and Innovation:
Kamen acknowledges the urgent need for innovative design solutions to address global warming and promote sustainability. He expresses optimism that innovation and design can play a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future.

Economics Trumps All:
Human selfishness often leads to resource depletion and conflict, historically resulting in the demise of civilizations. Humanity faces the challenge of addressing global warming and preventing a repeat of past mistakes. Economics dictates human actions, making it difficult to implement sustainable solutions without economic incentives.

Solar Energy and Grid Parity:
Solar energy has potential as a clean energy source, but it faces economic challenges in many regions. Grid parity, where solar energy costs the same as grid electricity, is difficult to achieve due to high battery storage costs and limited incentives.

Fossil Fuel Dependency:
Fossil fuels are economically advantageous due to their low production costs. The price of fossil fuels is not directly related to the cost of extraction. Competing with fossil fuels economically is challenging for clean energy technologies.

Global Carbon Tax:
A worldwide carbon tax that gradually increases over time would provide an economic incentive to transition away from fossil fuels. This tax would encourage energy efficiency, clean energy generation, and innovation.

Human Behavior and Economic Imperatives:
Historically, humans have prioritized cost-effectiveness over sustainability. Without economic incentives, humans tend to choose the cheapest options for energy, food, and other resources.

Conclusion:
The speaker expresses concern about humanity’s ability to address global warming given its history of self-destructive behavior. The speaker emphasizes the importance of economic incentives, such as a global carbon tax, in driving the adoption of sustainable solutions.

Section 1: Unintended Consequences of Simple Solutions:
People tend to opt for simple, fast, and cheap solutions without considering the long-term implications. This approach often leads to unintended consequences that may not align with enlightened self-interest. Education, particularly through universities, is crucial in developing analytical thinking and projecting the consequences of actions.

Section 2: The Role of Global Perspective in Solving Energy Problems:
The price of oil and the dominance of American innovation have influenced the current energy landscape. However, a global perspective is necessary to address the energy problem effectively.

Section 3: Methane Production by Cows and Its Impact on Greenhouse Gases:
Methane, produced by cows, has a 21 times greater negative impact on global warming compared to CO2. Methane eventually degrades into CO2, but its initial impact is more significant.

Section 4: The Limited Impact of Reducing Passenger Car Emissions in North America:
Passenger cars in North America contribute only about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing passenger car emissions by 2% would have a minimal impact on global greenhouse gas levels.

Section 5: The Potential of Reducing Methane Emissions from Cows in Developing Countries:
Reducing methane emissions from cows in developing countries could have a similar impact on global greenhouse gases as reducing passenger car emissions in North America. This could involve collecting and burning methane locally to generate electricity.

Section 6: The Need for a Global Approach to Address Energy and Environmental Issues:
The world’s growing population, particularly in developing countries, will lead to an increased demand for energy and water. Developed countries should focus on developing appliance-sized energy systems that can be deployed worldwide. These systems could provide electricity to underserved communities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Section 7: Education, Industry, and Environmental Benefits:
By creating an industry around appliance-sized energy systems, developed countries can create jobs, allies, and educate people about energy and environmental issues. These systems can serve as “environmental vacuum cleaners,” reducing greenhouse gases and improving living standards.

Value of Innovation:
Innovation has become a common term, often overused today. Disruptive innovation is not an exact synonym but captures the essence of creating new markets and transforming existing ones. An innovator should focus on making money for clients, as this resonates well.

Favorite Failures:
Market readiness is crucial for innovation success. Sometimes, being too early or too late with a groundbreaking technology can lead to failure, despite its potential. For example, a product that could surf the web wirelessly in 1992 failed due to the lack of a web to surf.

Energy Solutions:
People tend to prioritize their short-term economic interests, making it challenging to implement long-term sustainable solutions. Instead of relying on large power plants, Dean Kamen proposes a decentralized approach with small distributed power plants. This would provide sustainable, cost-effective energy while improving the environment and offering opportunities for education and healthcare. Kamen successfully demonstrated this concept by running two electric generation systems in Bangladesh villages for six months, using cow dung as the sole fuel source.

Facing Failure:
Dean Kamen believes that failure is a temporary setback and that one should not admit defeat easily. Kamen suggests putting aside unsuccessful projects and revisiting them later when technology advances or market conditions change. He emphasizes the importance of self-belief and persistence in overcoming challenges.

Crowdsourced Innovation:
A panel member discusses the potential of crowdsourced innovation through social media and technology. The idea of collective intelligence is highlighted, where a group of individuals can solve problems that a single person may struggle with. Issues related to intellectual property rights and maintaining quality in crowdsourced projects are brought up.

Aging and Celebrating Life:
Patty discusses her book, “Disguised, A True Story,” which explores her experiences and insights as an octogenarian. She emphasizes the importance of embracing aging gracefully and celebrating life’s milestones. Patty encourages individuals to celebrate their birthdays for an entire year when they reach a zero or a five at the end of their age.

Advice to Universities:
Kevin highlights RIT’s unique focus on hands-on learning and its positive impact on innovation. He believes that universities should emphasize practical experience and prepare students for real-world applications. Kevin notes that the United States has dominated innovation for a long time but faces competition from other countries.

American System Fostering Innovation:
Industrial Revolution brought money and great universities to the United States, leading to the world’s best university system. US culture promoted innovation, risk-taking, and intellectual property protection.

Wealth Growth and Competition:
US experienced decades of wealth growth, but it has plateaued in recent years. Other countries, like China, are experiencing rapid wealth growth, potentially surpassing the US economy in the near future.

China’s Challenges:
China’s intellectual property protection and limited freedom of expression may hinder innovation. Strict government control and censorship can discourage risk-taking and stifle creativity.

Long-Term Advantage of the US:
US is likely to maintain its innovative edge due to its strong culture of innovation, open society, and robust intellectual property system.

Fostering Innovation:
The US needs to continue fostering innovation by encouraging risk-taking, promoting experiential education, and maintaining a world-class intellectual property system.

Intellectual Property Protection:
The 17- to 20-year intellectual property protection period is crucial for inventors to profit from their innovations.

A Brother’s Inspiration:
Dean Kamen’s older brother was a brilliant medical doctor and researcher specializing in pharmacology and treating babies with severe conditions. His brother often complained about the lack of suitable equipment to deliver precise drug dosages to tiny babies.

Early Attempts and Market Challenges:
Kamen began creating devices to address his brother’s needs, using his expertise in electronics and low-power processors. He faced challenges due to the small market for neonatal devices and the difficulties of working with his brother as a customer.

Unexpected Application in Adult Chemotherapy:
An adult doctor at Yale approached Kamen to use his devices for outpatient chemotherapy in adults. Despite the effectiveness of the devices, patient compliance was low, discouraging Kamen from pursuing this market.

Endocrinologist’s Insight and the Diabetes Connection:
An endocrinologist approached Kamen with an idea to use the small pumps for pregnant women with diabetes. He explained that tightly controlling blood glucose levels during pregnancy could prevent macrosomia (excessive fetal growth) and lead to healthier outcomes.

Addressing Long-Term Health Effects:
Kamen learned that while diabetics can manage their condition, long-term complications such as retinopathy, porphyria disease, microangiography, and limb loss can occur. Tight glucose control during pregnancy could prevent these complications, improving the health of both mother and baby.

Overcoming Challenges and Market Success:
Kamen faced skepticism and resistance from the medical community, but he persevered and eventually gained acceptance for his insulin pump. The insulin pump became a life-changing device for diabetics, enabling them to manage their condition more effectively and prevent long-term complications.

Introduction:
* Dean Kamen’s story highlights the challenges and rewards of medical innovation, from the initial invention to its adoption as a widely accepted treatment.

Chemo Pumps and the Inspiration for Insulin Pumps:
* Kamen modified his chemo pump design to create an insulin pump for his brother’s professor’s research on tight glucose control in pregnant women with diabetes.

The Significance of Pregnancy and Patient Motivation:
* Kamen realized that pregnant women would be highly motivated to manage their diabetes, leading to better compliance with insulin therapy compared to other patient groups.

Clinical Success and the Publication of Research:
* The research on tight glucose control in pregnant women with diabetes using insulin pumps yielded positive results and was published, generating excitement in the medical community.

Starting a Business and the Challenges of Innovation:
* Kamen started a business to manufacture insulin pumps, but faced challenges in convincing insurance companies to cover the cost due to the short-term expense.

The Long-Term Costs of Diabetes and the Value of Innovation:
* Kamen emphasizes the high lifetime costs of treating diabetes and its complications, such as end-stage renal failure, cardiac failure, and blindness.
* He argues that investing in innovations like insulin pumps can lead to long-term savings by preventing these costly complications.

The 20-Year Journey from Invention to Innovation:
* Kamen highlights the lengthy process of transforming an invention into an accepted innovation, often taking decades due to regulatory and insurance barriers.

Perseverance and the Rewards of Innovation:
* Kamen encourages aspiring innovators to persevere despite the challenges and to focus on the long-term impact of their work, which can ultimately lead to significant improvements in patient care.

Appreciating the Takeaways and Celebrating Innovation:
* The moderator emphasizes the inspiring stories and insights shared by the panelists, particularly the potential for innovation in the collection of bodily waste.
* The panelists are thanked for their contributions and achievements, and their induction into the RIT Innovation Hall of Fame is celebrated.