Nan-Wei Gong
Nan-Wei Gong | |
|---|---|
Gong in 2025 | |
| Born | Taiwan |
| Education | National Tsing Hua University (BS, MS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS, PhD) |
| Employer | CEO of FIGUR8 |
| Awards | Robert P. Goldberg grand prize at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's $100K Entrepreneurship Competition |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Materials science |
| Thesis | Design and applications of inkjet-printed flexible sensate surfaces (2013) |
| Website | https://www.figur8tech.com |
Nan-Wei Gong is a Taiwanese-American materials scientist and entrepreneur whose work focuses on wearable technology.[1] She is the founder and CEO of FIGUR8, a company focused on better technologies and hardware platforms to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal and orthopedic injuries.[2]
Early life and education
Gong was born and raised in Taiwan,[1] where she graduated from National Tsing Hua University with a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in materials science and engineering. She then pursued further graduate studies in the United States at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she earned a Master of Science (M.S.) in 2009 and her Ph.D. in media arts and sciences in 2013.[3][4] Her doctoral dissertation, completed at the MIT Media Lab under Joseph Paradiso, was titled, "Design and pplications of inkjet-printed flexible sensate surfaces".[5]
In 2013 Gong was part of a team that won the Robert P. Goldberg $100,000 grand prize at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's $100K Entrepreneurship Competition. The team created "new sensor-level software that recognizes three-dimensional gestures on small, battery-powered, mobile devices."[6] Gong worked in MIT's Media Lab as a research assistant for seven years.[3]
Career
Gong founded Circular2, a technology consulting company in 2014.[4] Gong is a co-inventor of a device for "sensing floor for locating people and devices. A patent was issued to Microsoft for this invention in 2015.[7] Gong co-founded FIGUR8, a company that develops wearable technology that can assess the musculoskeletal system in minutes. This technology allows for better accessibility and visibility of soft-tissue recovery and treatment planning compared to MRI's and X-Ray scans.[5][3]
References
- ^ a b D'Ambrosio, Daniel. "MIT Engineer Develops New Way To Improve Your Body Movement". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- ^ "About FIGUR8". FIGURE8. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
- ^ a b c "MIT: Bringing precision to musculoskeletal health. - Document - Gale Power Search". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- ^ a b Wogrammer (2018-07-20). "Wearing the Pants: Hardware Engineer Nan-Wei Gong Defies Gender Stereotypes to Create 3D Tech". AnitaB.org x Wogrammer. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ a b "FIGUR8 Generates $12 Million in Series A Financing. - Document - Gale Power Search". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- ^ "Gesture Is the New Touch: MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition Awards $100,000 Grand Prize to 3dim, Creator of the First 3-D Gesture Sensor for Mobile Devices - Document - Gale Power Search". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- ^ "Microsoft Assigned Patent for Sensing Floor for Locating People and Devices - Document - Gale Power Search". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2022-03-24.