A Belfast scientist who has developed a range of technologies,including the technology to provide the special effects seen in the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park, has won the 2003 Boyle Medal Award and Bursary for scientific research excellence.
Prof John McCanny, professor of microelectronics engineering at Queen's University, has established two Belfast companies which commercialise some of the discoveries made by his research team.
He receives the Royal Dublin Society/Irish Times Boyle Medal for research excellence, given every second year to recognise high-quality Irish research.
He also receives the €40,000 Boyle Medal Bursary, used exclusively to fund a graduate student for the next three years who will benefit from working with one of Ireland's leading scientists.
"This is something pretty special to me," Prof McCanny said at the weekend. "I have had a number of important accolades but this one is in Ireland and it is meant to recognise Irish scientists."
Prof McCanny's award was announced on Saturday evening at the RDS in Dublin to a large audience that included members of his family. He was selected as Boyle Medal finalist after a two- day judging process which involved interviews with a shortlist of five top scientists from Cork, Belfast, Britain and Dublin.
The four-person judging panel included international scientists from Britain and Sweden and a judge from Ireland. They interviewed the five candidates on Friday and Saturday.
Prof McCanny was selected as winner after a close fought contest, given the quality of all five of the shortlisted candidates.
The chairman of the judging panel, Sir Dai Rees, praised the research achievements of the winner and all of the candidates. Each had demonstrated their right to be considered on the Boyle Medal shortlist, he said.
He acknowledged in particular Prof McCanny's ability to develop new research areas within his field while also bringing many of these discoveries through to the commercial realm.
Prof McCanny has spent more than 20 years developing ways to improve the quality of digital images and sounds. Microprocessor devices developed by his research group at Queen's are commonly found in a wide range of electronic devices from DVD and video recorders to mobile phones, televisions and video camera equipment.
His particular specialisation is in digital signal processing, finding ways to polish and improve the electronic signals which produce sound and digital images. He achieves this by blending advanced mathematical algorithms with purpose-build microchips, the goal being to clean and compress digital signals to make them as clear and sharp as possible.
He has developed ways to cluster groups of signal-enhancing devices together on single microprocessor chips, an innovation which helps to simplify and make more efficient digital signal processing. This work led to the creation of Amphion Semiconductor Ltd, which produces video communications devices with sales to major companies including Intel, Sony, Toshiba, Sharp and Samsung.
He has made important contributions to audio and video signal-processing including the first published hi-fi audio compression algorithm, which helps to make recorded material as clear and sharp as the original. This led to the establishment of Audio Processing Technology Ltd (APT), now a worldwide supplier of audio equipment to the professional broadcast industry. It is also used in cinema and DVD.
His purpose-built chip designs linked with advanced mathematical processing capabilities are found in a wide range of electronic devices. APT also supplied specialist equipment to movie director Steven Spielberg, helping to deliver some of the special effects used in Jurassic Park.
Prof McCanny has received numerous awards and international distinctions. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and was awarded a CBE in 2002 for "contributions to engineering and higher education".
He won an IEEE (USA) Millennium medal in 2000, the only holder in Northern Ireland of this distinction. He is also a member of the Royal Society, the Royal Irish Academy and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
The Boyle Medal was created by the RDS in 1899 as a way to mark the achievements of Ireland's best scientists.
In its centenary year, the medal award programme was reorganised with The Irish Times joining with the RDS to create the Boyle Medal Bursary. This €40,000 grant allows Prof McCanny to select a graduate student and fund this student for the next three years as he or she works towards their PhD degree.
It means that a promising graduate will be given an opportunity to remain in Ireland and work towards a higher degree with a leading Irish scientist.
