Steve Mann

Steve Mann

Steve Mann

Awards

IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award

Biography

Steve Mann is widely regarded as “The father of wearable computing.” He founded the MIT Wearable Computing Project, which has had a singular impact on the development of VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality) and XR (eXtended Reality) products and services. In 1998 he invented, designed, and built the world’s first smartwatch capable of downloading and running a wide variety of apps for health, well-being, and fitness tracking, ushering in a new era of personal health. Mann also invented HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging, which is now used in nearly every commercially manufactured smartphone, as well as many other cameras and computer vision systems, including systems to help the visually impaired see.

An IEEE Fellow, Mann is a Professor of Computer Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mann is the recipient of the 2025 IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award "For contributions to the advancement of wearable computing and high dynamic range imaging."