Tesla, Nikola

Nikola Tesla invented the electric motor with rotating magnetic field that made electric drives for machines feasible and made power transmission necessary.

Tesla was born in Croatia, he attended the University of Prague for two years. He began his work in the Austria telegraph system and became an engineer for a power company in Budapest. While in technical school Tesla became convinced that commutators were not necessary for motors, and with the power company he built a crude motor which demonstrated that. In 1884 Tesla went to the US and joined the Edison Works as a dynamo designer. In 1888 Tesla invented the induction motor. Tesla obtained more than 100 patents, and despite his 700 inventions he was not rich.