Professor honoured

A professor emeritus at Auckland University has received recognition for services to business and philanthropy. John Boys has been made a Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) after contributing to science and engineering for more than 30 years. Boys, of Takapuna, is highly regarded internationally for his fundamental research into inductive power transfer technology and commercial impact it has made beginning with a major Japanese company in applications –  including LCD displays, computer chips, industrial car assembly, and the charging and powering of electric vehicles (EVs). More than 20 years ago, he discovered a resonant self-tuning power supply and, with colleague Grant Covic, invented a new floor-mounted system for car assembly since adopted by major marques. In the 1990s, his inductive charging system for buses was deployed in Europe, and – in 2009 – his team took the first prototype electric car inductive charging system to the world’s largest EV trade show. Boys’ team is currently researching wind and solar-powered EVs, and the use of the technology is spreading in robotics, roadway lighting, medical devices and home appliances. His work – and that of his team – has brought more than $70 million in research funding to the university, transformed the fortunes of several national and international companies, and contributed to the green economy worldwide. Boys’ other awards include the Prime Minister’s Science Prize in 2013 and the Royal Society of NZ William Pickering Medal in 2005. He and Covic won the researcher entrepreneur award at the KiwiNet Awards 2013 for his work on inductive power transfer. You can watch a video featuring both of them below.