Leslie Kay

Leslie Kay (14 January 1922 – 2 June 2020) was a British–New Zealand electrical engineer, particularly known for the development of ultrasonic devices to assist the blind.

Early life and family Kay was born in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, on 14 January 1922, the son of a colliery manager. He left school at the age of 14, and accepted an electrical apprenticeship at the local colliery managed by his father, and took night classes in electrical engineering.

Career

England After World War II, Kay studied for a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Newcastle campus of Durham University, graduating in 1948. Later he joined the Admiralty as a civilian scientist based at the Isle of Portland. He was involved in the development of transmitting underwater sonar for the identification of submarines, mines and torpedoes, undertaking research both on land and at sea. He also took part in naval operations, and was in a submarine off Port Said during the Suez Crisis.

New Zealand In 1965, Kay and his family migrated to New Zealand, where he took up a post at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. He was appointed to a personal chair in 1982.

At Canterbury, Kay continued his work improving devices for the blind, as well as applying ultrasonic technology to applications in medicine, robotics, diving and fishing.

Kay became a naturalised New Zealander in 1979. He continued his research independently, establishing Bay Advanced Technologies, a research business in Russell, to further refine devices for the blind.

Honours and awards In 1971, Kay was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, the first engineer to be so honoured. He was also awarded fellowships of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers (now Engineering New Zealand), the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers (both now part of the Institution of Engineering and Technology).

Later life and death Kay's wife, Nora, died in 2004, and he retired from active research in 2006. In retirement, Kay lived with his daughter in Southland, where he died on 2 June 2020.