Robert Wellesley Mann

Robert Wellesley Mann
Born1924 (1924)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died2006 (aged 81–82)
Alma materMassachusetts Institute of Technology (SB, 1950; SM, 1951; ScD, 1957)
Known forBiomechanics research
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsBiomedical engineering, prosthetics
WorkplacesMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Notable students
Woodie C. Flowers

Robert Wellesley Mann (1924, Brooklyn, New York – 2006) was an American biomedical engineer and MIT professor known for his work in biomechanics and prosthetics.[1][2]

Biography

Mann graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School before serving in the Pacific theater in the Army during WWII. He came to MIT in 1947 on the GI Bill and received the S.B. degree in 1950, the S.M. in 1951 and the Sc.D. in 1957.[3]

In the 1960s and 1970s, Mann and others developed software and machinery for converting English text into Braille. The goal was to allow blind readers faster access to published material.[1]

In September 1968, a team of physicians and designers, led by Mann, introduced the "Boston Digital Arm", the first prosthetic limb controlled by a brain–computer interface, wherein the wearer could control the movement of the arm by the electric signals sent by the brain to electronic instruments designed to interpret the signals.[4][5]

Mann also studied the forces in artificial hip joints while they were in motion.[1]

Mann died on June 16, 2006.[1]

Awards

Mann was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 1971,[6] the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1972,[7] the National Academy of Engineering in 1973,[8] and the National Academy of Sciences in 1982.[9]

Mann received the ASME Medal in 1977.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Robert W. Mann, 81, Designer of Devices for Handicapped, Dies". The New York Times. June 24, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Mann, Robert Wellesley | MIT Museum". MIT Museum. Archived from the original on May 17, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  3. ↑ National Academy of Engineering (2008). "Robert W. Mann". Memorial Tributes: Volume 12. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. pp. 190–193. doi:10.17226/12473. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Will Power Makes Motorized Arm Operate for Amputees", by Harry Nelson, Los Angeles Times, September 13, 1968, p1
  5. ↑ "'Boston Arm' Thought Into Movement", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 14, 1968, p23
  6. ↑ "Robert W. Mann". National Academy of Medicine. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Robert Wellesley Mann". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Robert W. Mann". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Robert W. Mann". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  10. ↑ "ASME Medal". ASME. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Retrieved April 21, 2026.

Further reading

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