Benjamin Simon Blackmore
Position: Visiting Professor
Nationality: British, 1954
Specifications: Developing more intelligent machines, Precision Farming and agricultural robotics
QUALIFICATIONS:
• I am currently holding a visiting professor position at King Saud University 2010
• Accepted as Ying Ding guest professor of South China Agricultural University 2009
• Consultant to the Intelligent Systems and Robotics Laboratory, UPM Malaysia 2008
• Visiting Professor of Bristol Robotics Laboratory 2007
• Visiting Professor of the University of Thessaly 2006
• Accepted as a World Class Scholar, PR China 2003
• Doctor of Philosophy 2003
• Visiting Professor of China Agricultural University 2002
• Fellow of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers 2001
• Member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers 2000
• Head of AgroTechnology at KVL 2000-2005
• Research Professor at the Royal Veterinary and Ag University (KVL) 2000-2005
• Visiting Professor of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology 1998
• Chartered Engineer 1992, European Engineer 1993
• BSc (Hons) Agricultural Engineering 1985
• National Certificate in Agriculture 1970
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Simon Blackmore is a discipline leader in Precision Farming and agricultural robotics with a world-wide reputation. He has worked in Greece, Denmark, the UK and has spent 6 years working in Africa. Simon is the managing director of his own company called Unibots Ltd that is commercialising academic research in mobile outdoor robots. Simon holds visiting Chairs at the University of Thessaly in Greece, Bristol Robotics Lab in UK, China Agric University, Beijing and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in Japan and regularly gives keynote presentations around the world on robotic agriculture. Currently he is the manager of the EU “Farm of Tomorrow” project called FutureFarm. Simon latest project is setting up the European Agricultural Robotics Network.
Simon has substantial experience as a manager including:
• Project manager of FutureFarm, the EU's Farm of Tomorrow (www.FutureFarm.eu)
• Developed detailed five year management goals and deliverables for the AgroTechnology group in KVL
• 2000-2004: 15 Journal papers, 31 conference papers, 3 book chapters, 3 news, 1 patent
• Given invited presentations in 24 different countries (about 5 keynote papers per year)
• Supervising more than 35 PhD and Master students
• Collaborating with research groups from Japan, China, Malaysia and Mauritius
• Founding the Nordic School for Biosystems Engineering (NORBE)
• Co-editor of the 3rd European Conference on Precision Agriculture proceedings
• Member of the editorial board of Precision Agriculture Journal and Biosystems Engineering Journal.
• Set up the Centre for Precision Farming at Cranfield and at the Centre for Precision Farming at KVL.
• Lecture topics include; biosystems instrumentation, precision farming, digital electronics, computer hardware, software engineering, mechatronics and Systems Analysis
• Coordinated and taught many international short courses
• Reviewed and evaluated many international project proposals and promotions
• Team Leader of two industrially based Teaching Company Schemes (Now called Knowledge Transfer Partnerships)
• Production of a new MSc in Information Technology at Cranfield University
• District resources planner for Quthing district with UNDP, Lesotho (Google Earth Placemark for Masatise)
• Project Engineer on an Integrated Agricultural Development Project, Sierra Leone (Google Earth Placemark for Kambia)
• Team Leader of the Engineering section, Plateau State Wildlife Unit, Nigeria (Google Earth Placemark for Pandam and Wase Rock)
• Manager of a 1000 acre dairy farm in Nigeria (Google Earth Placemark for Batura)
Simon’s main area of personal research is to develop more intelligent machines and processes.
