Bill Moore (physicist)
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William Thomas Moore MBE | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 26, 1936 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died | August 17, 1990 (aged 53) |
| Nationality | New Zealand–British |
| Education | University of New Zealand (Canterbury College) |
| Alma mater | University of New Zealand |
| Known for | Development of thermal imaging technology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
William Thomas Moore MBE (26 October 1936 – 17 August 1990) was a New Zealand-British physicist who helped develop thermal imaging technology.
Early life and education
Moore was born on 26 October 1936[1] and grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand. He attended the University of New Zealand (Canterbury College), where he took his BSc in 1959 and Master's in 1961.[2] He emigrated from New Zealand to work as a physicist in the UK, departing from Auckland on 17 October 1961.[3]
Career, awards and publications
Moore worked for Rank Research Laboratories, which was integrated with Rank Pullin Controls[4] in Debden, Essex. It was then bought by the British General Electric Company,[5] becoming GEC Sensors Limited in 1987.[6]
His work included the design and development of optics, analogue and digital electronics, distortion correction circuitry, target tracking systems, display systems, the mechanical specification of scanning mechanisms and pattern recognition. He is named on 22 patents filed between 1968 and 1987,[7] and corresponded with Professor Sir Eric Ash of UCL, who was a Rank consultant, on the effect of gravity on light beams.
Moore's inventions included improvements in processing video signals in thermal imagers[8] and refining thermal imaging apparatus to overcome the issue of "pupil scan".[9] His most significant design was for a high-speed infra-red scanner that used an afocal optical system for better image quality.[10] This was designated as Thermal Imaging Common Module Class II (TICM II) and had multiple applications, including improvements in British defence technology through its use in "aircraft mounted systems".[11]
During his time as Chief Scientist at Rank, Moore was awarded an MBE, announced on 14 June 1980[12] in the Birthday Honours List and conferred in 1981. In 1986, Moore co-authored a paper outlining the design and development of the compact thermal imager.[13]
Personal life
Moore's interests outside of work included photography, cine film, literature, Esperanto, music, politics and computing. He enjoyed listening to atonal composers like Hans Werner Henze and was a fan of The Consort of Musicke. He was a member of the Grasshopper Group of amateur animators and cine film enthusiasts, who met at the London School of Film Technique to produce shorts and adverts on 16mm and 35mm film.[14]
Moore was married twice, to Helen from 1969[15] until her death in 1986 and to Valerie from 1989 until Moore's death in 1990. He was survived by his brother, three children, two step-children and Valerie, who paid tribute to him as "an immensely friendly, humorous and profoundly original man".[16]
References
- ↑ "FreeBMD Entry Info". www.freebmd.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
- ↑ "NZ University Graduates 1870–1961". shadowsoftime.co.nz. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ↑ "FamilySearch.org". www.familysearch.org. Archived from the original on 2025-12-13. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
- ↑ Grace's Guide. "Rank Precision Industries". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Retrieved 4 Jan 2026.
- ↑ Waller, Martin (20 Apr 1988). "Rank Sells Thermal Interests to GEC". The Times. p. 28. Retrieved 4 Jan 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Companies House. "BAE Systems overview". Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ↑ "Patents filed by William Thomas Moore (Rank)". Google Patents. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ↑ Rank Pullin Controls, Imaging apparatus patent, published 23 Sept 1987. Retrieved 4 Jan 2026.
- ↑ Rank Pullin Controls, Thermal imaging apparatus patent, published 1st April 1992. Retrieved 4 Jan 2026.
- ↑ Rank Pullin Controls, Infra-red scanner patent, published 15 Aug 1978. Retrieved 4 Jan 2026.
- ↑ Amin, Ahmed Mohamed (1986). Geometrical Analysis and Rectification of Thermal Infrared Video Frame Scanner Imagery and Its Potential Applications to Topographic Mapping (PhD thesis). University of Glasgow. p. 57. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ↑ "Birthday Honours". The Times. 14 June 1980. p. 4. Retrieved 4 Jan 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Lettington, A. H.; Moore, W. T. (10 December 1986). Mollicone, Richard A.; Spiro, Irving J. (eds.). "A Compact High Performance Thermal Imager". Infrared Technology XII. San Diego. 0685: 146–151. Bibcode:1986SPIE..685..146L. doi:10.1117/12.936507.
- ↑ Clark, Ken (Winter 1982). "The Grasshopper Animators – part 3". www.animatormag.com. Animator's newsletter Issue 3. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ↑ "William T Moore marriage record". Free BMD index. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ↑ "A brilliant innovative physicist". The Telegraph. 27 March 2003. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
External links
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