University of
University of
Corpus Christi College
University of
University of
Salford
Cambridge
Cambridge
Nottingham
Melbourne
Physics
Physics
Physics
Psychology
Physics
BSc
PhD
Research Fellow
PhD
Honourary Fellow
Warning:
Visitors to this page who are not from an academic background might think that this catalogue of qualifications and achievements indicates some sort of genius.
Far from it, please do not be put off from contacting me.
Were I to list my failures and the things at which I am hopeless, the list would be far far longer!
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University of |
University of |
Corpus Christi College |
University of |
University of |
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Salford |
Cambridge |
Cambridge |
Nottingham |
Melbourne |
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Physics |
Physics |
Physics |
Psychology |
Physics |
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BSc |
PhD |
Research Fellow |
PhD |
Honourary Fellow |
Born in the UK in 1940 Tony was awarded a BSc in Physics with First Class Honours from theUniversity of Salford . Research on the propagation of cracks through brittle solids at the Cavendish Physics Laboratory led to a PhD from the University of Cambridge . The Cavendish is a 'name droppers' paradise' and yes, Tony did know Stephen Hawking. They never worked together but they did drink a considerable amount of the local beer together. While at Cambridge Tony was attached to Corpus Christi College.
A Post-Doctoral Fellowship, still at Cambridge, was followed by a brief period in industry with the Aluminium Company of Canada . Tony returned to University joining the
Psychology Department at the University of Nottingham as a Research Fellow in the Blind Mobility Research Unit. (Tony had suffered bi-lateral detached retinae while at Cambridge. After seven unsuccesful operations in Cambridge an eighth was performed at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London by the renowned Lorimer Fison and the sight of one eye restored).During the seventeen years spent at Nottingham, Tony achieved a detailed understanding of the informational needs of the blind pedestrian. He was able to embody much of this understanding in a series of novel electronic mobility guidance devices culminating in the invention of theSonic Pathfinder - the first guidance device for the vision impaired to make use of the techniques of artificial intelligence. His inventiveness expressed itself in a number of other ways: stereophonic hearing aids for the deaf/blind, the design of the layout for textured paving slabs at Zebra and Controlled Pedestrian Crossing ( the 'Ts' and the 'Ls' ) , the Tactile Display for Controlled Pedestrian Crossings, speech synthesised information displays (eg the Talking Bus Stop) and the, now ubiquitous, Parking Sensor - a spin-off from the Sonic Pathfinder - patented in 1983. During the period spent at Nottingham Tony obtained a second PhD entitled "Auditory information and the mobile blind"; this one in Psychology!
In 1971 Tony was invited by the American neuoscientist - now regarded as one of the founding fathers of Neuroplasticity - Paul Bach y Rita of the The Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco to assist with their Sensory Substitution research program in particular helping to get their Tactile-Vison Substitution System portable for use as a Mobility Aid for blind pedestrians. Tony also spent some time as a Visiting Research Fellow at: the University of Western Michigan, Kalamazoo and the British Telecom Research Laboratories , Martlesham. And later as a Research Associate at the Centre for Visual Sciences at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Tony has published some forty scientific papers and holds a number of UK patents.
In 1987 Tony was invited to move to Australia and take up the newly created post of Manager, Research and Development with the Royal Guide Dogs Associations of Australia (RGDAA).
In 1995 Tony left RGDAA and formed his own business,Perceptual Alternatives. He continues to maintain formal academic relationships with a number of University departments having been an Associate of the Photonics Red Centre , a Research Associate of the Department of Optometry at the University of Melbourne and a part time lecturer in the Department of Health Sciences at LaTrobe University. In addition to his work on disability Tony has undertaken regular consultative assignments for industry specializing in: man/machine interface problems, remote sensing and the safe transportation of volatile substances.
Sometimes projects can be a lot of fun. Tony worked with a young inventor, Steve Steer, to develop Tackle Tracka: the world's first fishing rod computer.
When required to declare his occupation, Tony describes himself as a Gentleman Scientist and Ultracrepidarian . As a partially sighted bird watcher he claims to see more UFOs in a day than most people see in a lifetime. He is a member of the Australian Skeptics - an organisation dedicated to investigating pseudo-science and the paranormal from a responsible scientific viewpoint.A Secular Humanist, for six years Tony served on the Human Research & Ethics Committee at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital - a part of the University of Melbourne.
Since 2004 Tony has been a Tutor with the University of the Third Age, the U3A, predominately at Manningham but also at Nunawading and occasionally on the Mornington Peninsula at Dromana. Subjects taught include: "Web Page Design", "The History of Science", "The Philosophy of Science", "The Physics of the World About Us", "The History of Evidence Based Medicine" and "Cosmology".
In 2018 Tony was invited to become an Honourary Fellow in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne.
Tony has recorded a number of radio interviews mostly for Beyond Infinity, the weekly science program broadcast by Radio Port Philip (RPP FM)
In 2016The life of a ScientistIn 2017 he recorded a two part lecture entitled "Our Changing View of Reality"Our Changing View of Reality: Part OneIn 2019 he was invited back to the studio to take part in a number of unscripted ultracrepidarian discussions:The 150 year anniversary of the Periodic TableAnd yet more lectures:Sir Fred Hoyle; why he did not get a Nobel Prize. Part OneAnd for the BBC:Sir Fred Hoyle; why he did not get a Nobel Prize. Part Two
The tree in the swamp also know as The Adams Event as explained by Stephen Fry
In 2024 Tony Heyes and Piers Cunningham discuss Tony's paper The Pitchforks are coming in a podcast entitled Victoria's Clean Energy Needs
Tony Heyes tells Piers Cunningham about his Unexpected Legacy and recalls projects involving road safety.
40 years after inventing the Parking Sensor the BBC have deemed me to be an unsung hero on the BBC Radio 5 Elis James and John Robbins Show episode 157.
Click below to hear the audio clip
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Tony may be contacted by email:Tony.Heyes@gmail.com
My Wikipedia User entry is here.
My bio written at the request of the U3A is called Do we need to bring Gym Shoes to a Physics Class?
Tony's web page is named after his travel aid for the blind ie.
See Tony describing the Sonic Pathfinder on YouTube