Hugh F. Durrant-Whyte facts for kids

Hugh Durrant-Whyte is a brilliant British-Australian engineer and professor. He was born on February 6, 1961. He is famous for his amazing work in robotics, especially for helping robots understand their surroundings.

He developed special ways for robots to handle things that are not certain. This helps autonomous vehicles (like self-driving cars) figure out where they are, even when their sensors aren't perfect. This important technology is called Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM).

Early Life and School Days

Hugh Durrant-Whyte was born in London, England. He went to Richard Hale School, which was a state grammar school.

He loved engineering and studied it at the University of London. In 1983, he earned a top degree called a Bachelor of Science (BSc). After that, he moved to the United States.

In the U.S., he studied systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned two more degrees there: a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in 1985 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 1986. He was also a special student called a Thouron Scholar.

Career and Robot Research

After finishing his studies, Hugh Durrant-Whyte started his career at the University of Oxford in England. From 1986 to 1987, he was a research fellow. Then, from 1987 to 1995, he taught engineering science at Oriel College, Oxford.

Moving to Australia

In 1995, Professor Durrant-Whyte moved to Australia and joined the University of Sydney. He became a Professor of Mechatronic Engineering. Mechatronics is a cool field that combines mechanics, electronics, computer science, and robotics.

From 1999 to 2002, he led the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR). This center works on making robots that can operate in real-world environments, like farms or mines.

From 2002 to 2010, he was the Research Director for a special center focused on autonomous systems. This center was a team effort between the ACFR and other universities.

Leading the Way in Robotics

Professor Durrant-Whyte is known as one of the first people to work on SLAM. He worked with John J. Leonard to develop this key technology. SLAM helps robots build a map of an unknown area while at the same time figuring out where they are on that map.

He has written over 350 research papers and helped more than 70 students earn their PhDs. He has won many awards for his work. He also helped make Australian robotics famous around the world. In 2008, he was named "Professional Engineer of the year," and in 2010, he was named NSW "Scientist of the Year."

Important Roles

In 2010, Professor Durrant-Whyte became the CEO of NICTA, which was Australia's largest information and communications technology research center. He held this role until 2014.

Later, in 2017, he became the Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK Ministry of Defence. This meant he advised the UK government on science and technology for defense. Because he had both Australian and British citizenship, there were some specific rules about what parts of the role he could oversee.

In May 2018, he was appointed the Chief Scientist & Engineer for New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. He started this important job in September 2018. In this role, he advises the NSW government on science, technology, and engineering.

Awards and Recognitions

Professor Durrant-Whyte has received many important awards for his contributions to science and engineering:

• FRS - Fellow of the Royal Society (This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.)
• FAA - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
• FIEEE - Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• FTSE - Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
• HonFIEAus - Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia
• M A Sargent Medal (2017)
• NSW Scientist of the Year (2010)
• IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Award (2009)
• ATSE Clunies Ross Award (2009)
• Professional Engineer of the year (2008)
• IFR/IEEE Invention and Entrepreneurship Award (2007)
• New South Wales Pearcy Award (2004)
• Harry Lees Award (2004)
• Warren Centre Innovation Hero (2003)
• BAE Systems Chairman's Gold Award (2003)
• Four IEEE Best Paper prizes (1994, 1997, 2004, 2006)

Key Positions Held

Here are some of the important leadership roles Professor Durrant-Whyte has held: