Emik Avakian, Iranian-American inventor (b. 1923)
Emik Avakian (Armenian: Էմիք Աւաքեան; August 15, 1923 – July 11, 2013) was an Armenian American inventor and owner of numerous patents including breath-operated computer, a mechanism that facilitates putting wheelchairs on automobiles, and a self operating robotic wheel that converts manual wheel chairs into automatic. Many of his inventions were geared towards the improvement of disabled people's lives, and he won many awards recognizing these efforts.