Udisha
An Actor-Inventor
Hedy Lamarr, born November 9, 1914 was a glamorous Hollywood actress as well as inventor. Together with George Antheil, Hedy Lamarr co-invented the frequency hopping technology, the fundamental system on which modern wireless tech such as Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth stand.
The Mother of WiFi
Often dubbed the Mother of WiFi, Hedy Lamarr made the pathbreaking invention during World War II, prevent enemies from interfering and jamming the torpedoes controlled by radio.
An Unsung Heroine of Her Time
Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil patented their invention in August 1942. However, their invention was disregarded by the US Navy and Hedy did not get paid or credited for her work. The system was not implemented by the Navy.
A Record-Breaker
Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil were awarded the Pioneer Award in 1997 by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for their groundbreaking invention. Hedy Lamarr also received the Invention Convention’s Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award and became the first woman to have achieved it.
An Underrated Genius
Hedy Lamar, a self-taught inventor, had no formal training. Due to the deeply entrenched gender biases of the time, she was only appreciated for her beauty and not for her genius. She led dual lives as a successful Hollywood actress and a passionate inventor.
A Hall of Famer
After her death in 2000 at the age of 85, Hedy Lamarr was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014 for her invention of the frequency hopping technology. Her co-inventor was also inducted.