Leslie Kay (engineer)
Leslie Kay OBE | |
---|---|
Born | Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England | 14 January 1922
Died | 2 June 2020 Southland, New Zealand | (aged 98)
Alma mater | Durham University University of Birmingham |
Known for | Sonar devices |
Spouse |
Nora Waters
(m. 1944; died 2004) |
Children | 3 |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Electrical engineering |
Institutions | Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment University of Birmingham University of Canterbury |
Thesis | Echo-location by man and animals: collection of published papers (1962) |
Leslie Kay
Early life and family
Kay was born in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, on 14 January 1922, the son of a colliery manager.[1][2][3] He left school at the age of 14, and accepted an electrical apprenticeship at the local colliery managed by his father, and took night classes in electrical engineering.[3]
In 1940, Kay joined the Royal Air Force, training as a pilot, but was later posted as an aircraft engineer because of his engineering background. His role included modifying aircraft, recalibrating their instruments, and test-flying the planes to ensure their airworthiness.[3]
In 1944, Kay married Nora Waters, and the couple went on to have three children.[1][4]
Career
England
After World War II, Kay studied for a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Newcastle campus of Durham University, graduating in 1948.[5] Later he joined the Admiralty as a civilian scientist based at the Isle of Portland. He was involved in the development of transmitting underwater sonar for the identification of submarines, mines and torpedoes, undertaking research both on land and at sea. He also took part in naval operations, and was in a submarine off Port Said during the Suez Crisis.[3]
After discovering that details of the technology that he helped to develop had been passed to the Soviet Union, Kay chose to move to an academic post at the University of Birmingham, where he established the Department of Electrical Engineering. At Birmingham, Kay initially continued researching underwater ultrasonic technology, but was inspired to investigate air sonar to assist blind people to navigate after watching blind children learning to swim. This led to his study of the way that bats navigate, and the development of devices for blind people.[3]
Kay was awarded a
New Zealand
In 1965, Kay and his family migrated to New Zealand, where he took up a post at the
At Canterbury, Kay continued his work improving devices for the blind, as well as applying ultrasonic technology to applications in medicine, robotics, diving and fishing.[3] He developed an international reputation for his work, particularly for the sonic torch, allowing blind people to avoid obstacles, sonic spectacles, and the Trisensor Aid, allowing blind children to be trained in spatial awareness.[8]
Kay became a naturalised New Zealander in 1979.
Honours and awards
In 1971, Kay was elected a
In the
Later life and death
Kay's wife, Nora, died in 2004, and he retired from active research in 2006.
References
- ^ a b c "Professor Leslie Kay". J. Fraser & Sons. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ a b "New Zealand, naturalisations, 1843–1981". Ancestry.com Operations. 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Climie, Daphne (2020). "Leslie Kay (1922–2020)". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "England & Wales, civil registration marriage index, 1916–2005". Ancestry.com Operations. 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ Graduates of the University. Durham: Durham University. 1948. p. 261.
- ^ Kay, Leslie (1962). Echo-location by man and animals: collection of published papers (PhD). University of Birmingham. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ McGinty, Lawrence (23 June 1977). "The blind baby controversy". New Scientist: 709. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "Professor Kay: an appraisal". New Electronics: 37–40. June 1986. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "Professores Emeriti". Calendar 06 (PDF). Christchurch: University of Canterbury. 2006. p. 13. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "The Acoustics Research Group history". University of Canterbury. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ a b "List of all Fellows with surnames J–L". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "No. 51173". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1987. p. 34.
- ^ "Deaths". New Zealand Herald. 16 June 2004.