| BIOGRAPHY
Background
Business
Background
Inventions
Patents
Other Interests
Robert
Bornn founded BuildingCircles
Organization in 2005 to create affordable, nature-integrated, and
sustainable human shelter. In 2006 he founded LifeSense
Institute, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to humanist projects that
improve our quality of life.
He founded five R&D companies
and directed the research and development of proprietary medical monitors
and ergonomic input devices. He also established two nonprofit scientific
research organizations.
As an inventor
and entrepreneur he has created more than a dozen
inventions with five patents granted during
the last three decades. He is currently exploring hew approaches
to transhumanism.
Robert is also a designer, sculptor,
musician,
photographer,
and
filmmaker.
BACKGROUND
As a young man in the late 60's Robert
found himself in personal need of affordable housing. He challenged
himself to create both indoor and outdoor, tensed fabric habitats for alternative
living that would be compatible with his artistic nature and love of the
outdoors. Robert's first fabric environments were inspired by Buckminster
Fuller's domes and Frei Otto's tensioned structures. His
designs included a tensed fabric and acrylic biofeedback installation at
the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York City in 1969, Contemplation
Environments exhibit.
Robert's interest in affordable and
sustainable housing and energy solutions goes back to the early 1970s when
he purchased an island in Maine to establish an alternative
residential community. The design was based on his then new principals
of "psychoarchitecture" (R. Bornn, "Psychoarchitecture,"
Island
Quarterly, February, 1972), emphasizing the importance of personal
residential space in shaping individuals and relationships.
As the years have passed, Robert has
maintained his interest in alternative energy solutions and sustainable,
affordable housing and the creation of alternative communities, both virtual
and "real-world." In addition to housing designs, Robert creates
large scale, interior and exterior installations
that are unique, sculptural environments for contemplation, work, living,
or entertainment.
Robert has also been creating living
sculpture
in a style he terms "enchanted naturalism." These kinetic environments
use the elements of stone, moving water, plants, sound, and light.
They have included an indoor
waterfall and fish pond within a free-form, tensioned fabric environment
in Silicon Valley. He also designed and built a large
waterfall and pond with stepping stones to a meditation island on a
private estate in Saratoga, California.
By 2003 Robert had revisited the use
of ferrocement in Mendocino, California to create other large-scale, one-of-a-kind
environments. He designed and built a ferrocement installation, Oshonia
at the Casa del Mar estate in Caspar, California. Oshonia,
is a ferrocement, sea stack-like "grotto," measuring approximately 18'
L x 8' W x 8' H. It is complemented by natural plant growth.
Ocetus
is a ferrocement, scallop shell-like, covered garden bench and wind break.
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
LifeSense Institute
President
2006 - Present
Founded LifeSense
Institute, a nonprofit corporation to sponsor humanist projects dedicated
to improving our quality of life. These projects currently include the
Vashon
Energy Project initiated in 2006 and educational support for BuildingCircles
Organization initiated in 2005.
BuildingCircles Organization
Founder
2005 - Present
Founded BuildingCircles
Organization to build affordable and sustainable nature-integrated
homes for independent living.
SeaDrift Media Productions
Producer and Director
2004-present
Founded SeaDrift
Media Productions, an independent media production company. Produced
and directed Ocean's
Edge-Spirit's Journey DVD and music CD, Here
and Now: Vashon-Maurey Island DVD and music CD, and Bird
Dreams.
LifeSense, LLC
Founder and President
1999-Present
Founded company
to research and develop his invention, the LifeSense™ personal monitor
(for stroke and falls) as well as a number of other proprietary products
and services for stroke prevention, education, rehabilitation, and support.
Mr. Bornn is responsible for the company’s primary vision, intellectual
property creation, market analysis, strategic planning, team-building,
and fund-raising. LifeSense, LLC acquired the assets of Advanced
Input Products, LLC (also founded by Mr. Bornn) including all of its intellectual
property.
Advanced Input Products, LLC
Founder and President
1994-Present
Founded company and invented TopHat™,
Companion™, and HiBrow™ ergonomic input devices.
Somnus Corporation
Founder and President
1988-1993
(no relation to Somnus Medical
Technologies)
Founded by Mr. Bornn initially to
provide services to sleep disorders centers, and sleep health information
to the public. In 1990 Mr. Bornn refocused the company on medical monitors.
Genesis Laboratories, Inc.
Founder and President
1987-Present
Established scientific research company
to investigate various mechanisms to utilize hypothermia for medical purposes.
Advanced Medical Technologies,
Inc.
Founder and President
1983-1988
Founded company and raised capital
to research, develop, patent, and license the NightWatch™ sleep recording
and assessment system. Organized and managed professional team in product
research and development, clinical trials, and FDA permission to market.
Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric
Institute University of California San Francisco
Psychophysiology Research Laboratory
Independent Affiliate and Staff
Research Associate
1980-1983
Investigated mechanisms of sleep and
cardiorespiratory concomitants of dreaming. Secured funding from corporate
sponsor to examine effects of flotation tank environments on the quality
of sleep. Directed sleep research project including: protocol design; rigorous
analysis of biohazards; design and implementaton of safety protocols; development
of innovative underwater electrophysiological recording techniques; subject
recruitment and analysis of subject data.
American Longevity Association
Chairman, Northern California
Chapter
1980s
Founded Northern California Chapter
of the American Longevity Association with Robert
J. Morin, M.D. (UCLA).
SELECTED INVENTIONS
1. BuildingCircles™
nature-integrated affordable green housing solutions
2. SolarHarvester™
nature-integrated system for collection of solar thermal energy
3. RoadHarvester™
transportation energy recapture system
4. WindZyggy™
micro-power generation system
5. NightWatch™
ambulatory sleep recording and assessment system
6. R-BAND™ respiratory
sensor band
7. SafeWatch™
cardiorespiratory alert system
8. SleepLine™
sleep information audiotext program
9. TopHat™, Companion™,
and HiBrow™ input devices
10. NeuroWear™ hands-free
command technology
11. NeuroCom™ hands-free
controller engine
12. NeuroWave™ hands-free,
brain wave-operated controllers
13. LifeSense™ personal
monitors (for cardiorespiratory events, stroke, and falls)
PATENTS
1. U.S. Patent No. 4,784,162
(issued November 15, 1988):
“Portable, Multi-Channel, Physiological
Data Monitoring System” (I)
2. U.S. Patent No. 4,827,943
(issued May 9, 1989):
“Portable, Multi-Channel, Physiological
Data Monitoring System” (II)
3. U.S. Patent No. 5,348,008
(issued September 20, 1994):
“Cardiorespiratory Alert System”
4. U.S. Patent No. 5,353,793
(issued October 11, 1994):
“Sensor Apparatus”
5. U.S. Patent No. 5,564,429
(issued October 15, 1996)
“Method of Identifying Valid Signal-Carrying
Channels in a Cardiorespiratory Alert System”
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HONORS
Exhibit at San Francisco Exploratorium,
San Francisco, CA.
(computing for special needs)
1980
Built and exhibited Biosis,
a multi-channel biofeedback system for neuromuscular rehabilitation and
stress reduction.
Exhibit for Museum of Contemporary
Crafts, New York City
(Contemplation Environments)
1969
Built and exhibited a free-form
fabric and acrylic environment in which people were totally “immersed”
and all lighting and sound were controlled by the visitors’ heart beats,
respiration, and galvanic skin response.
OTHER INTERESTS
Artist and owner of Insculpta
Art and Environments. More than thirty years creating art and
environments for private and commercial clients.
Filmmaker, photographer, musician, and
producer of Ocean's Edge-Spirit's Journey, Here and
Now: Vashon-Maury Island , and Bird's Dream (non-violent,
nature, art movies). Founded SeaDrift Media Productions (www.seadriftmedia.com).
Forty years as a hand drummer, percussionist,
and recording artist. Artistic and founding director of performing
and recording group, DIAJ
(Drummers in a Jam). Recorded Pangaea:
Old World, New Visions and Mouyami
. Performing and recording with his partner, Laura Worth as SoundMoments
duo.
Professionally mentors
other entrepreneurs, inventors, artists, and musicians. (www.bornn.com).
Writing: blogging (From the
Rocking Chair), op ed.
EDUCATION
B.A., Psychology, 1971
Fordham University, New York, NY
Stuyvesant High School, New York,
NY
Revised 11/01/12
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