Frederick Prete
It was a chance meeting with a praying mantis that changed the course of Frederick Prete’s life.It set him to wondering how a mantis’ visual system distinguishes complex objects (its next meal, for instance). That question morphed into a PhD dissertation in Biological Psychology at the University of Chicago.
Vision has a personal meaning to Frederick. He watched his father’s sight falter until he was completely blind at retirement. And as it turns out, Frederick’s own sight requires ongoing attention.
He’s directed his work as a scientist, researcher and inventor toward increasing mobility for children who are visually impaired.
Frederick has developed a system that signals when people or objects are near. His prototypes embed distance sensors in jackets which “see” in several directions. The wearer receives gentle vibrations when things move about him or her. Read more…