In 1973, Stephen C. Jacobsen at University of Utah, developed the Utah Artificial Arm in 1973, the world’s first functional and most life-like prosthetic limb. Dr. Jacobsen was a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah, and the Founder of Sarcos Research Corp., as well as other companies.

Jacobsen was also a pioneer in the development of extremely small medical devices and surgical tools. He designed micro-pumps for the wearable drug delivery and blood-chemistry sensing. He refined wearable monitoring systems for remotely assessing the location and physiological state of soldiers in the field. He developed a surgical guide wire and catheter that enables less invasive neurological procedures. And he built prototypes of miniature cameras that could be swallowed or inserted into a body to wirelessly transmit photos of organs, bones, and other biological systems.

Like Tony Stark, the inventor-entrepreneur in “Iron Man,” Jacobsen often took on whimsical design challenges just for the fun of it. His most successful company, Sarcos (now Raytheon-Sarcos), founded in 1983, built mechanized dinosaurs for the Universal Orlando “Jurassic Park” ride and the animatronic pirates for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride at Disney theme parks. His company was also commissioned by Wet Design to engineer the robotic controllers for the spectacular Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas.