Learn the story of the engineer James Philip
Those who knew Engineer Jaime Filipe closely had him as a reference, shaped by the determination to the social and civic cause of the Person with Disabilities. Inventor and pioneer of Rehabilitation Engineering, he specialized in the area of support products, aiming to improve daily life, mobility and comfort, with the ultimate aim of providing full autonomy to people with disabilities.
He presented at RTP the New Horizons programme dedicated to innovation for people with disabilities, but above all to give voice and visibility to those who at that time did not have it. Raising awareness of the rights and specificities of persons with disabilities was far from being a national concern.
In 1991 he was decorated by the President of the Republic as Grand Officer of the Order of Merit.
At the beginning of the 21st century (2001) was created the Engineer Jaime Filipe Technological Innovation Award, which in 2010 was promoted by the INR, under its name, in order to distinguish the best innovation in engineering from rehabilitation.
After suffering a stroke he started using some of the products he had devised.
As a particularity it is noted that he participated in the Song Festival and invented the Wind Ball, still used today, in microphones.
Above all, Jaime Filipe was a Humanist.
Main inventions in the field of rehabilitation engineering:
1951 - Electrovisor - Touch Vision System for the blind;
1971 - Electrovisor II. Gold Medal at the 21st World Salon of Inventions and New Products in Brussels, 1972;
1971 - LETEX - Reader of Texts for the Blind or Orchestra;
1974 - Electromagnetic muscle. Gold Silver Medal at the 5th Geneva International Salon of Inventions 1976
1979 - Combi engine. Silver Medal at the 8th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions and New Techniques
1981 - Touch perception apparatus for printed images
1983 - Wheelchair Lift (for stairs) Gold Medal at the 32nd Brussels World Exhibition of Industrial Invention and Innovation in 1983, Brussels City Special Award and Deputy Prime Minister of the Interior Award and Gold Medal at the 12th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions and New Techniques 1984;
1984- Manual Wheelchair Lift, Portable (ECR III) Gold Silver Medal at the "Eureka 84 Brussels" World Exhibition of Inventions and Silver Medal at the 13th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions and New Techniques;
1985- BASIL- Vibratory sound perception system for the deaf. Gold Medals, Geneva 1985 and Brussels 1985
1986 - Electronic Bengal for the blind. Silver Medal at the 35th World Exhibition of Inventions - EUREKA 86 - Brussels.
Sources: RTP Archive; INR and jaimefilipe.pt (CERTIC/UTAD)