John Boys
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| John Boys | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Talbot Boys 1 January 1940 Invercargill, New Zealand[1] |
| 🎓 Alma mater | University of Auckland (ME)[2] |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Pioneering inductive power transfer (IPT); co-founding HaloIPT; industrial and transport wireless charging |
| 🏅 Awards | Scott Medal (1998)[3] Prime Minister's Science Prize (2013)[4] Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2015)[5] |
John Talbot Boys CNZM is a New Zealand electrical engineer and emeritus professor at the University of Auckland. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of modern high-power inductive power transfer (IPT) and wireless charging systems for industrial automation and electric transport.[6][7]
Boys’ research underpins commercial wireless power systems used in semiconductor clean-rooms, materials-handling, implantable medical devices and electric vehicles. He co-founded the spin-out company HaloIPT, whose technology was later acquired by Qualcomm and subsequently by WiTricity.[4][8][9]
Boys was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to science.[10][5][11]
Early life and education
Boys was born in Invercargill, in the South Island of New Zealand, in 1940.[1] He studied engineering at the University of Auckland, completing a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical and electronic engineering in the early 1960s, followed by a Master of Engineering (ME) degree in 1965.[2] He subsequently obtained a PhD in physics in 1968, specialising in power electronics and electromagnetic systems.[1][2]
Academic and industrial career
After completing his doctorate, Boys worked for several years in industry with SPS Technologies, gaining experience in high-reliability power systems.[2] He later returned to academia as a lecturer in electrical engineering at the University of Canterbury, where he began developing high-frequency power conversion and early forms of contactless power transfer.[2]
In 1977 Boys joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Auckland.[2] Over subsequent decades he rose to professor and then distinguished professor, and later became emeritus professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering.[12] He was a core member of the university’s Power Electronics research group, alongside colleagues such as Grant Covic, Patrick Hu and Udaya Madawala.[12]
Boys supervised numerous postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers in power electronics and IPT, many of whom later became academics, entrepreneurs or senior engineers in the wireless power industry.[6][13] He also served on expert panels and advisory groups for the Royal Society Te Apārangi on technology, energy and green-economy futures.[14]
Research on inductive power transfer
Origins of IPT work
Although the underlying physics of electromagnetic induction dates back to Michael Faraday and Nikola Tesla, practical large-gap, high-power IPT applications remained limited for much of the twentieth century.[6][15] From the late 1980s Boys began exploring ways to use modern power semiconductors, ferrite materials and control systems to make IPT robust and commercially viable for industry.[6]
Working with colleague Grant Covic, Boys developed a new generation of contactless power systems that could deliver substantial power across air gaps while maintaining high efficiency and controllable electromagnetic emissions.[6][7] Their work enabled multiple independently controlled vehicles to share the same inductive power loop, a key step for industrial automation and materials-handling systems.[15]
Industrial materials handling and clean-room systems
In 1989 the Japanese company Daifuku engaged Auckland UniServices, the commercialisation arm of the University of Auckland, to develop inductive power solutions for car-assembly plants and clean-room conveyor systems.[16] Boys led the research group that created high-reliability IPT tracks capable of powering moving platforms over significant distances without exposed conductors or sparking contacts.[16][6]
By the mid-1990s Daifuku was deploying IPT-based monorail and conveyor systems in semiconductor and LCD manufacturing facilities, where the absence of sliding electrical contacts reduced particle contamination.[17][18] By the early 2000s IPT technology licensed from Auckland was reported to power a substantial share of the global clean-room materials-handling market.[6][15]
Electric buses and dynamic charging
Building on industrial systems, Boys and Covic turned their attention to electric transport in the late 1990s, exploring ways to charge buses and other vehicles wirelessly at stops and depots.[8][6] Early commercial deployments included IPT-charged buses operating in cities such as Turin and London, where pads embedded in the road or at termini replenished batteries during scheduled stops.[8][15]
The group later investigated dynamic wireless power transfer, in which vehicles receive power while moving along roadways equipped with IPT tracks.[19][20] This work contributed to the broader international development of standards for wireless charging of electric vehicles.[8]
PowerbyProxi and consumer wireless charging
Boys’ research also underpinned the New Zealand company PowerbyProxi, founded in 2007 by Fady Mishriki and Greg Cross to commercialise IPT patents held by Auckland UniServices.[21] The company developed slip-ring replacements and consumer charging pads for applications where cables are impractical, such as forestry equipment and wind turbines.[22]
In 2017 Apple acquired PowerbyProxi, highlighting the strategic value of wireless charging portfolios originally rooted in Boys’ laboratory work.[21]
HaloIPT and vehicle wireless charging
Founding and technology
In 2010 Boys co-founded HaloIPT with Covic and partners including the engineering firm Arup and trans-Tasman investors, aiming to commercialise roadway and stationary wireless charging technology for electric vehicles.[4][8][23] HaloIPT focused on resonant IPT systems capable of efficiently transferring tens of kilowatts across vehicle–road gaps, with active control to maintain alignment and power quality.[7][20]
HaloIPT was acquired by Qualcomm in 2011, with staff joining Qualcomm’s European Innovation Development group.[24][9] The deal was widely described as one of the largest commercialisation successes by a New Zealand university at the time.[13][9] Qualcomm Halo was later acquired by WiTricity, which established an R&D presence in Auckland and continued to recruit graduates from Boys’ research group.[8]
Impact on electric transport
The HaloIPT and Qualcomm Halo platforms contributed to early field trials of wireless charging for buses, taxis and passenger cars in Europe and elsewhere.[25][7] Boys’ patents and designs influenced subsequent international standards work on interoperable wireless charging for road vehicles and helped establish New Zealand as a recognised centre of wireless power expertise.[8][6]
Publications and patents
Boys has authored and co-authored more than 100 refereed papers in power electronics and IPT.[2][26] His highly cited works include:
- G. A. Covic and J. T. Boys, "Modern trends in inductive power transfer for transportation applications", IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics (2013).[27][20]
- J. T. Boys and A. W. Green, "Inductively coupled power transmission: concept, design and application", Pickering Lecture, Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (1994).[28]
- Contributions to the long-form review "The Inductive Power Transfer Story at the University of Auckland".[19]
He is listed as an inventor on dozens of patent families covering IPT track designs, power regulators and vehicle charging systems, many assigned to Auckland UniServices.[29][30] Among these are systems for multi-vehicle IPT loops, non-contact bus charging and electric vehicles capable of drawing power from multiple sources.[29][30][31]
In bibliometric rankings, Boys has been listed as a national leader in electronics and electrical engineering research in New Zealand.[32]
Honours and recognition
In 1998 Boys received the Scott Medal of the Royal Society of New Zealand (now Royal Society Te Apārangi) for outstanding contributions to inductive power transfer.[3] He later served on Royal Society expert panels considering energy and green-economy futures for New Zealand.[14][10]
Together with Grant Covic, Boys received the Prime Minister's Science Prize in 2013 for world-leading innovation in inductive power transfer.[4][7][25] Media coverage highlighted applications ranging from industrial conveyor systems to electric vehicles and noted that their IPT technology powered a large share of global clean-room materials-handling equipment.[33][6]
In 2013 Boys and Covic also received the KiwiNet Researcher Entrepreneur Award for successful commercialisation of IPT technologies.[34]
Boys was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the 2015 New Year Honours, for services to science.[5][11] Commentary at the time emphasised both his fundamental research and its extensive commercial impact in Japan, Europe and North America.[35]
Teaching and mentorship
Beyond research, Boys has been recognised for encouraging creative, high-risk ideas among students and colleagues. University of Auckland profiles and interviews describe his willingness to entertain “crazy ideas” as a catalyst for innovative projects in wireless power and beyond.[13][8] Former students have gone on to leadership roles in companies such as PowerbyProxi, WiTricity and other wireless-power and power-electronics firms.[21]
Boys frequently delivered invited and keynote lectures on IPT at international conferences, including the IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications and the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.[2][1][36]
Personal life
Public sources describe Boys as being based in Takapuna, Auckland, during much of his later career.[35][30] Interviews and profiles emphasise his enthusiasm for practical problem-solving, collaboration with industry and support for commercialising university research.[35][33][13]
Legacy
Boys’ work is often cited as an example of how long-term, curiosity-driven research can lead to significant industrial and societal impact. Engineering New Zealand’s heritage record on IPT notes that the Auckland group was the first to evolve materials and controls that made IPT commercially useful over large air gaps, and that the technology has since spread into everyday appliances and transport systems.[6]
The Daifuku HID system, PowerbyProxi products and HaloIPT–Qualcomm–WiTricity vehicle platforms have all been traced back to patents and prototypes developed in Boys’ research group at the University of Auckland.[16][18][24][8] Commentators have described this as one of New Zealand’s most successful stories of university research leading to global technology adoption.[9][13]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 ECCE 2016 Program Book (PDF). IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Keynote 1: Modern Trends in Inductive Power Transfer". IEEE ICIEA 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Scott Medal recipients". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "The Prime Minister's Science Prize 2013". Prime Minister's Science Prizes. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "New Year Honours List 2015". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 "Inductive Power Transfer (IPT)". Engineering New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Wireless power transmission wins 2013 Prime Minister's Science Prize". Our Changing World. RNZ. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 "Leading the world in wireless power transfer innovation". UniServices. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "University transforms car travel worldwide". NZ Manufacturer. 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "2015 Academy Annual Report" (PDF). Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 NZ Herald staff (30 December 2014). "'I thought I might not take it' - Tariana Turia's surprise on becoming Dame". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Power electronics". Faculty of Engineering, University of Auckland. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 "Innovation springs from blue skies thinking". University of Auckland. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "2014 Academy Annual Report" (PDF). Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 "Wireless transmission of energy". Open Tesla Research. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Non-Contact Power Supply Transport System Technology". Daifuku. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ Flournoy, Don (30 April 2010). "A critical look at wireless power". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Putting the HID Non-Contact Power Supply System to Use". Daifuku Square. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "The Inductive Power Transfer Story at the University of Auckland". ResearchGate. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Modern Trends in Inductive Power Transfer for Transportation Applications". OpenAlex. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Power by Proxi". No. 8 Re-wired. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "PowerbyProxi enables wireless power". Electrical Connection. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "Wireless power lecture series hits the road". TransportTalk. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Qualcomm buys Auckland Uni's wireless electric car charging technology". iTWire. 10 November 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 "PM's Science Prize winners announced". Science Media Centre. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "John T. Boys – publications". SciSpace. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "Modern Trends in Inductive Power Transfer for Transportation Applications". ResearchGate. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "An Evolving Order" (PDF). Engineering New Zealand. 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 US 5293308, Boys, John T.; Green, Andrew W., "Inductive power distribution system", issued 8 March 1994, assigned to Auckland Uniservices Ltd
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 "US Patent: Inductive power transfer system and method". US Fed News via HT Syndication. 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "Wireless energy transfer resonator thermal management – patent citations". Google Patents. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "John T. Boys". Research.com. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 "PM's Science Prize awarded to wireless pioneers". The New Zealand Herald. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "KiwiNet Awards 2013 Winners: Professors Grant Covic and John Boys". KiwiNet via YouTube. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 "CNZM for electric pioneer". Autofile. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "2nd IEEE Southern Power Electronics Conference (SPEC) – programme" (PDF). IEEE. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
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