Michael Lin

Dr. Michael Lin is Research Scientist at MIT and director of Taipei CityScience, specializing in complex urban systems with over 15 years of experience in leading collaboration with Fortune 500 & the public sectors around the world to craft future urban mobility from concepts to reality.

Michael leads the MIT Media Lab City Science future mobility research focusing on Mobility-On-Demand, Lightweight Autonomous Vehicles, and new mobility modes. Michael manages a team of experts and scientists with diverse backgrounds to explore how transportation innovations will reshape our future mobility landscape. He is the inventor of the MIT Persuasive Electric Vehicle (PEV), a shared-use, lightweight autonomous vehicle that aims to solve last-mile transport and freight logistics in dense urban areas. Michael’s work received awards from the Buckminster Fuller Challenge, IF, and Core77 design awards and was featured by The Discovery Channel, Der Spiegel, and The New York Times, and was displayed in exhibitions, conferences, and summits worldwide.

Michael received his Ph.D. degree from MIT Media Lab and two master’s degrees from MIT: a Master of Science in Media Arts and Sciences program and a Master of Science in Architecture Studies with a focus on urban design. Before MIT’s education, Michael received a Bachelor in Architecture from Feng Chia University in Taiwan.

Michael’s other inventions include the RoboScooter, a lightweight electric folding scooter designed as a clean, green mobility solution, and GreenWheel, an electrical propulsion system that integrates a lithium-ion battery pack with a DC motor that can be attached to existing bicycles.