Thomas H. Massie graduated from MIT. He has many inventions to his name, the most impressive being a computer interface system. Virtual Reality was one of the things he is noted for.

Thomas H. Massie Credit: invent.org

Massie's interface system, which he calls the PHANToM, is actually haptic (from the Greek "hapt-esthai," which means "to touch" or "to feel"). Massie's system, lets a person insert their fingers and then virtually touch the shape, texture and weight of objects on the computer screen as well as interact with those objects

The PHANToM could be used to help scientist see and feel their inventions before actually building them. Massie's system could also be used to train or prepare doctors for surgery, pilots to fly without being in a plane and many other applications.

To market his inventions, he formed his own companies. These inventions are the robotic arm, an automatic plant-watering system that reacts to the plant's soil, to a weaving machine. The watering system someday might be used in space for farming.

Thomas Massie was awarded the 1995 Lemelson - MIT Student Prize. He has used the 0 prize money for his own work and for sponsoring math and science activities at his hometown high school.