(Left) Dr. Eben Upton helping teach children about programming and the Raspberry Pi. (Right) Dr. Upton speaking at the Alan Turing festival in 2012 (via Eben Upton, element14, Jim Killock and wiki)
Dr. Eben Upton, a co-founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, received the distinguished Silver Medal award from the Royal Academy of Engineering in June of 2013. The award highlights “outstanding contributions to British engineering resulting in successful market exploitation.”
Upton, Technical Director of Broadcom, received the award for his role in bringing the ultra-popular Raspberry Pi microcomputer to the masses all over the globe. He is also responsible for the creation of the Raspberry Pi foundation whose ultimate goal is to promote the study of computer science in schools to spark innovation in fledgling students. What the Raspberry Pi is to kids (and adults) in today’s world is what the Acorn BBC Micro computer was to a kid in the UK back in the 1980s (or the Apple 2C for kids across the pond in the US) and was the basis for inspiration in the Pi’s design. Micro PC boards have been gaining in popularity ever since DR. Upton’s board was released to the market. Actually, it was incredibly popular even before it was released and has spawned a plethora of similarly designed boards since its introduction back in August of 2011.
Microcomputers have been around for decades; however, some of the more popular models were designed back in the 1970s. The more popular models to be introduced back then were the MITS Altair 8800, the SOL-20 and the Apple 1 that, much like the Pi, was sold as electronic kits aimed at hobbyists of the day. Those kits could not hold a candle to the power packed in today’s boards, which feature a dedicated CPU, GPU onboard RAM, audio/video outputs and high-speed USB and Ethernet connections. Since its initial release the Raspberry Pi has been incorporated into just about every project imaginable including robotics, home theater PCs, tactical camera surveillance systems and even incorporated into a tiny micro arcade cabinet. The $25 board has certainly made an impact in both education (STEM programs) and hobbyist circles and with the latest iteration of the Pi (currently the model A); it does not look like it is going away anytime soon.
Other notable recipients of the Silver Medal include Drilling Technology Portfolio Leader for BP Johnathan Holt for his ‘No Drilling Surprises’ project that identifies potential geological hazards in deep-core drilling which is then presented on a computer as a 3D image (not counting the Deep Water Horizon mishap). Dr. Karin King (Queen Mary University), whose research led to a type of ‘bio-scaffolding’ used in bone regeneration and Dr. Rob Buckingham, managing director of OC Robotics, who co-developed a robotic snake that can traverse tight spaces in hazardous spaces where larger robots cant maneuver. Winners of this year’s Silver Medal will be formally announced by the Royal Academy of Engineering sometime next month in July (2013).
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