Sensor Design Wins Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering

Four engineers who created digital imaging sensors have been awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize). This year’s winners have received the prestigious award for their contributions in revolutionizing the way we capture and analyze visual information, the organization states.

Engineers Eric Fossum (U.S.), George Smith (U.S.), Nobukazu Teranishi (Japan) and Michael Tompsett (U.K.) were announced as the winners by Lord Browne of Madingley in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal at the Royal Academy of Engineering, for their combined contribution to digital imaging.

The prize was awarded for three innovations spanning three decades, which have radically changed the visual world; the charge coupled device (CCD), the pinned photodiode (PPD) and the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. Together, this image sensor technology has transformed medical treatments, science, personal communication and entertainment. Thanks to this series of engineering innovations, today’s cameras can fit on a fingertip and are found in countless portable devices around the world, an organizational press release states.

“A picture is a universal form of communication," said Christopher Snowden, chair of the Judging Panel. "It can be shared instantly with anyone around the world, no matter what language they speak. We chose this innovation to win the QEPrize this year because it epitomizes what the prize stands for. Everyone around the world, especially young people, understands the importance of images. This engineering innovation is inspirational, it is truly something that everyone can understand, and it has had a remarkable social impact worldwide.”

For more information, visit the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

Sources: Press materials received from the organization and additional information gleaned from the organization’s website.