John Siegel

Served as President & Treasurer from 5-1995 to 12-2004

Contact Information:

Phone: 989-723-0322

John Adrian Siegel, serves on our board as a Vice President. John was born in an impoverished Detroit, Michigan neighborhood. He has a few disabilities including a partial visual disability and asthma. The first school he attended was a dark, boarded up inner city school with roving gangs, asbestos falling from ceiling pipes and constant fighting and noise. In this environment he was unable to learn and was labeled retarded or learning disabled. He was treated cruelly by his peers. During this span John studied science at home and searched the city alleyways for materials to work with and for things to repair. He also started to create works of art. After years of being “labeled” John was given an IQ test and his scores were so high that the examiner told his mother that he should not be told he was a genius because it would ruin him. Fortunately his mother told him anyway. John said “Why would they think that telling me I was a genius would harm me and letting me think I was learning disabled would be good for me?”

Since a very early age John has been concerned with creating the means to help provide decent education and inspiration for children and with issues like poverty, disability, the environment and trying to improve the quality of life for others. Because of John’s disabilities he had to create his own employment in order to support himself and his family. His business website is www.mrisar.com. He has 2 children, Autumn, Aurora; 3 step children, Sunshine, James, Michael and 3 step grandchildren. He is married to Victoria Croasdell.

John is the co-owner and co-founder of MRISAR,, Institute of Science, Art & Robotics. MRISAR, a world renowned and award winning family business. It is located in an old church and operated entirely by 6 workers, which are his children, wife and himself. They have created a number of facial feature controlled adaptive technology robotic research projects, medical prototypes and a catalog of world class scientific exhibits and devices that educate the general public in the united states and in other countries. Their exhibits, which are a spin-off of their technological developments, and are user friendly regardless of disability, have been sold worldwide by universities, centers, museums, governments, royalty and for NASA funded exhibitions. The profits from their exhibit sales fund their research projects, which include alternative energy, adaptive technologies for the disabled, low cost medical solutions, and other humanitarian projects. Among their many awards are the “Discover Award for Technological Innovation” and a 2004 NASA - Emhart Technologies, "Create the Future" award. Their research has been published by universities like Cambridge and Stanford. They are recognized by the UN as a substantial contributor in the area of robotics and featured in the United Nations "World Robotics 2002, 2003 and 2004" publications, by (UNECE) and IFR. John and his family’s primary goal is humanitarian and environmental research and development, which is based on their belief that each person should do everything within their capability to honor the spirit of humanity and the environment.

John's technical innovations, especially in the areas of rehabilitation robotics/cybernetics (to provide technologies that will improve the quality of life for the disabled), have earned him international accreditation. He has provided freelance assistance to science museums, corporations and educational facilities across the nation. Many of his designs and devices have been featured in projects by NASA, divisions of the US government and universities. John is also an artist. In his work, he uses biodegradable materials whenever possible, reprocesses what few solvents are used, and adds adaptation for the disabled whenever possible; including interactive electronics and interfaces.

Humanitarian Research & Development:

The research and development of John and his wife Victoria Croasdell has been acknowledged via the following:

An Awarded Winner; in the 2004 NASA - Emhart Technologies, "Create the Future" contest. NASA Tech Briefs magazine and Emhart Technologies, a global leader in the design and creation of assembly technologies, sponsored the event. The submission, an Advanced Bandage that, (1) serves as a substitute for stitches, (2) eliminates skin damage from I.V. adhesive and regular bandages, and (3) provides emergency closure of wounds, was in the area of medical products. It was judged by a panel of the worlds finest engineers and industrialists for scientific functionality, product necessity and practical marketability.

Cybernetics and Robotics; published by and presented before the IEEE RO-MAN 2003; International Workshop on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, October 31 - November 2, 2003, Millbrae, CA, USA, http://ro-man.org. Sponsored by: IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, Robotics Society of Japan, Hosei University, Hosei University Research Institute, California, New Technology Foundation. Technical Sponsors: IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, Virtual Reality Society of Japan. With Additional Support from Faculty and Staff of: Stanford University, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Immersion Corporation, Intuitive Surgical Inc.

Cybernetics and Robotics; published by and demonstrated before Cambridge University's international conference on adaptive technologies, "CWUAAT", (Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology) in March of 2002;

Cybernetics and Robotics; published by and demonstrated before the "International Conference On Rehabilitation Robotics" at Stanford University, in California, in July 1999;

Cybernetics and Robotics; chosen in 2000 by the International "Discover Awards For Innovation" to receive an Award for ranking in the top ten of their category. This also earned them an invitation to demonstrate their prototype at the "Technology Exp 2000" at EPCOT Center, in Disney World.

Cybernetics and Robotics; featured in the "Who's Who in Science and Engineering; 8th Edition - 2005 - 2006", publication, by Marquis, LLC.

Cybernetics and Robotics; recognized by the UN as a substantial contributor in the area of robotics and featured in the United Nations "World Robotics 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007" publication, by the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the IFR; International Federation of Robotics.

Cybernetics and Robotics; Their work has been published by Universities and Scientific Journals. It has been acknowledged in numerous news papers and television segments. Their most resent project in Rehabilitation Robotics was hailed as "a medical miracle in the making", by NBC Television.

Left: John Siegel and Michael Cook, at the clock making fund raiser.

Middle: John, Aurora and Autumn Siegel, provide responsible technology examples at the Owosso High School - Career Day. 2-2006

Right: John and his friend Mohamad Yusof Abdul Halim (an Electrical Engineer for the National Science Centre) admire the architectural wonder of a garden in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

For more images see Photo Gallery

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