Dr Stephen D Prior BEng, PhD, PGDipHE, CEng, MIMechE, FHEA
Reader in Unmanned Air Vehicles
Dr Stephen D Prior is a Reader in Unmanned Air Vehicles within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton.
Dr Prior gained a BEng Mechanical Engineering degree in 1987 and a PhD in Robotics from Middlesex University, London in 1993. He is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, Corporate Member of the IMechE and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research interests are in the areas of Aeronautics, Autonomous Unmanned Systems, Robotics and Design Engineering. He was Project Lead for the MoD Grand Challenge i-Spy team in 2008 and was the Team Leader for Team HALO, winner of the DARPA UAVForge Competition 2012. He has been an editor for the International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles since 2010 and Unmanned System Journal since 2013. He is also a non-executive director of Tethered Drone Systems Ltd.
Awards
Eurobot Competition - National Winner 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014
IMechE UAS Competition 2019
5th and 7th Place Overall
Award for Innovation (first transitional aircraft that demonstrated flight)
IMechE UAS Competition 2018
2nd Place Overall
IMechE UAS Competition 2017
2nd & 3rd Place Overall
Awards for Payload Delivery and Navigation Authority
Robots for Resilient Infrastructure
International Robotics Challenge Event
University of Leeds, 27-28th June 2017
Runner-Up Prize £600 sponsored by Kier Utilities
IMechE UAS Competition 2016
2nd, 3rd & 4th Place Overall
Awards for Innovation, Autonomous Operations and Safety & Airworthiness
Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Award 2014
This award acknowledges an outstanding contribution to education at the University of Southampton
Taiwan Innovation Competition 2013
Gold Medal
Developing a Small UAS to Win the DARPA UAVForge Challenge 2012
