Josh Siegel

Josh Siegel was trying to modify a car he bought when he discovered a problem. Unlike his ‘55 Chevy with its straightforward hardware, the computer system of the contemporary vehicle prevented him from making changes.  

With some reverse engineering and car restoration experience, Siegel built a way to “digitally hotrod” his car. The result? CARduino, a device that plugs vehicles into the internet and gives the owner access to driving data — like wheel speed, airbag sensors, and cameras. While a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he won a 2015 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for this invention. 

Siegel is now a professor at Michigan State University’s DeepTech Lab, which focuses on solving complex problems through innovation, and at MIT’s Internet of Things. He regularly mentors students to pursue invention and entrepreneurship. 

He credits his upbringing in the Detroit area for his enduring love of cars. He’s founded several auto-related startups, and holds a patent for a road condition and congestion monitoring messaging system.