John F. Reid

John F. Reid is a prominent Research Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the College of Engineering, with dual appointments in Computer Science and Agricultural and Biological Engineering. He serves as Executive Director of the Center for Digital Agriculture. With over 35 years of experience in academic and industrial R&D, his career spans faculty roles at UIUC (1986-2000), leadership at Deere & Company (2000-2020), and Vice President positions at Brunswick Corporation (2020-2022).

• Education: Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering (Texas A&M, 1987), M.S. and B.S. in Agricultural Engineering (Virginia Tech, 1982 & 1980)

Dr. Reid's research focuses on agricultural automation, machine vision, and innovation management. He has pioneered agricultural robotics, precision technologies, and embodied AI applications in food, construction, and marine systems. His work has resulted in over 30 patents in automated guidance, sensor systems, and agricultural informatics.

His scientific contributions center on stereo vision navigation, 3D field mapping, and adaptive control systems for mobile equipment. These innovations underpin modern precision agriculture and agricultural robotics frameworks.

Major awards include:

• NAE Election (2019)
• ASABE Fellow (2004)
• University Scholar (1995)
• Academy of Engineering Excellence (2020)

He holds leadership roles in international organizations including the CIGR Working Group on Circular Bioeconomy Systems (Chair 2024-present) and Fraunhofer USA (2013-2022).