Steve Mann is a hydraulist, as well as the inventor of the hydraulophone, a musical instrument that is similar to a woodwind instrument but uses pressurized water instead of air. He is also a sculptor who builds hydraulophones as public art installations.

He has written more than 200 research publications, books, and patent publications, and has been the keynote speaker at more than 25 scholarly and industry symposia and conferences and has also been an invited speaker at more than 50 university Distinguished Lecture Series and colloquia. His work has been shown in numerous musems around the world, including the Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of American History, The Science Museum (Wellcome Wing, opening with Her Majesty The Queen June 2000), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA in New York), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), Triennale di Milano, Austin Museum of Art, and San Francisco Art Institute.

He is considered by many to be the inventor of WearComp (wearable computer) and EyeTap electric seeing aid, and was the first to keep a web log of his visual experiences (thus inventing the CyborgLog, also known as a "glog").

His award winning documentary cyborglog ShootingBack, and the ideas from his recent book "CYBORG: Digital Destiny and Human Possibility in the Age of the Wearable Computer" (Randomhouse Doubleday, 2001) inspired a 35mm feature length motion picture film about his inventions (http://wearcam.org/cyberman.htm), said, by P.O.V., to be Canada's most important film of the year.

He also won first place in the Coram International Sustainable Design Award for his invention of the interactive musical waterplay sculpture, and is the recipient of the 2004 Leonardo Award for Excellence.

He received his PhD degree from MIT in 1997, and is currently a faculty member at University of Toronto.