Steven J. Sasson

1950-

 

Steven Sasson is credited with inventing the world’s first digital camera while working as an electrical engineer for Kodak in 1975.

 

With no existing literature on digital imaging to provide a foundation for his work, Sasson designed the digital circuitry for his camera from scratch. His device used a .01 megapixel (10,000 pixel) CCD sensor to capture images which were then stored on a magnetic cassette tape. The eight-pound camera took 23 seconds to record a single image to tape, and another 23 seconds to read it out for display on a television. Sasson and co-inventor Gareth Lloyd were issued a patent for the electronic still camera in December 1978.

 

For his pioneering work on digital imaging, Sasson has received numerous national and international awards, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2009. The citation which accompanied this award noted that his invention “has revolutionized the way images are captured, stored, and shared, creating new opportunities in commerce, education, and global communication.”