We are deeply saddened by the news of Prof. Simon Blackmore’s passing.
Simon achieved global recognition in precision agriculture and agricultural robotics, serving as a keynote speaker at prestigious conferences worldwide and holding Visiting Professor roles at several universities.
Simon’s influence on the ROBS4CROPS project began long before its inception, shaping the perspectives of many team members.
We were honored when Simon accepted our invitation to join the ROBS4CROPS Advisory Board, where he generously shared his extensive knowledge and experience in agricultural robotics. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Simon happily participated in virtual meetings and moved his avatar around on the screen as if he had worked with this technology all his life.
Last September, he participated in a very enjoyable three-day consortium meeting in L’Escala, Spain, enjoying demonstrations of autonomous tractors, sampling new apple varieties, and swapping stories over a glass of cider.
We will miss Simon greatly, but we won’t forget him.
On behalf of the ROBS4CROPS project team,
Frits van Evert, Coordinator
