معرفی
Blair Thornton is a Professor of Marine Autonomy at the University of Southampton's Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. He leads research in autonomous marine robotics, sensing, and AI for marine science, and co-directs the FEPS In situ and Remote Intelligent Sensing (IRIS) Centre of Excellence. His work focuses on developing low-cost robotic platforms, 3D seafloor mapping systems, and AI-driven data interpretation methods.
Education: PhD in underwater robotics (University of Southampton, 2006), postdoctoral research at University of Tokyo (2006-2016), and over 55 ocean expeditions (30 as PI). Teaching includes Maritime Robotics and Intelligent Mobile Robotics modules with Python-based practicals.
Key Projects: BioCam (NERC), TechOceanS (EU), DriftCam (EPSRC), and Smarty200 (EPSRC). Collaborations include Sonardyne International, National Oceanography Centre, and JAMSTEC.
Awards include the Okamura Kenji Prize (2014), Shell Ocean Discovery Xprize (2019), and IEEE Mid-Career Rising Star Award (2022). Active in journal editing (IEEE Oceanic Engineering, Robotics and Automation Letters) and external speaking roles.
