PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Lyndon Smith

Lyndon Smith is a machine vision researcher whose work applies computer vision to medical research, animal welfare, space objects and care systems. He earned a BSc at the University of Wales in 1986, an MSc at Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1988 and a PhD at UWE Bristol in 1997, then directed computer simulation at Penn State in 1998–1999. His research has included the Skin Analyser melanoma study, pig emotion recognition, AI analysis of resident space objects and a machine-vision project for care technology. As of October 2026, he is Professor in Computer Simulation and Machine Vision and Director of UWE Bristol’s Centre for Machine Vision; his book with Wenhao Zhang, Practical Machine Vision: 2D, 3D and Deep Learning Systems for Real-World Applications, is due from CRC Press in February 2027.

Born
1964
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1986–1997

    A powder metallurgy doctorate

    He earns a BSc at the University of Wales in 1986, an MSc at Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1988, and a PhD at the University of the West of England in 1997 for a thesis on a knowledge-based system for powder metallurgy.

  2. 1998–1999

    Penn State simulation director

    In 1998 and 1999, he directs Computer Simulation in the P/M Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University.

  3. 2007–2012

    The Skin Analyser trial

    He serves as chief investigator for a study that recruits participants from 2007 to 2012 to test a Skin Analyser that takes detailed skin pictures to help diagnose melanoma.

  4. March 2019

    Facial recognition for pig welfare

    In March 2019, he demonstrates pig face recognition using deep learning in UWE work with Professor Melvyn Smith. The team uses 2D and 3D images to develop automatic emotion identification for pig welfare.

  5. October 2023

    Space-object analysis with Metrea

    In October 2023, he joins UWE colleagues to supervise a 24-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Metrea. The project applies machine-vision and AI methods to images and video of resident space objects, aiming to identify them and estimate their sizes.

  6. June 2024

    AI for nurse-call systems

    In June 2024, he collaborates with UWE academics Wenhao Zhang and Mel Smith in a 36-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership with a nurse-call systems business. The project aims to strengthen its care systems with artificial intelligence, machine vision and machine learning.

  7. February 2025

    Contributing to IntelliPig

    In February 2025, he contributes to IntelliPig research, an AI system under development by UWE Bristol and Scotland’s Rural College. The system analyzes pig faces to recognize emotions and monitor their emotional and physical well-being in real time.

  8. As of October 2026

    A practical machine vision book

    In September 2026, UWE Bristol announces that Smith and Wenhao Zhang will publish Practical Machine Vision: 2D, 3D and Deep Learning Systems for Real-World Applications with CRC Press in February 2027. As of October 2026, Smith is Professor in Computer Simulation and Machine Vision and Director of the Centre for Machine Vision at UWE Bristol.

Career

  1. NowUniversity of the West of EnglandProfessor in Computer Simulation and Machine Vision
  2. 1998–1999Pennsylvania State UniversityDirector of Computer Simulation

Education

  1. 1997University of the West of EnglandPhD
  2. 1988Cranfield Institute of TechnologyMSc
  3. 1986University of WalesBSc

From the biography.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of the West of England. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes University of the West of England. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of the West of England. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI each year from 1955 to 2025, tracing the shift from university labs to companies.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Lyndon Smith yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Lyndon Smith (academic) en.wikipedia.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. UWE Bristol: Staff profile for Lyndon Smith people.uwe.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. A study looking at a possible test to help diagnose melanoma skin cancer cancerresearchuk.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. How’s my pig? Using facial recognition technology to improve animal wellbeing blogs.uwe.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. UWE Bristol announce new Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Metrea blogs.uwe.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. UWE Bristol announce Knowledge Transfer Partnership with a pioneering nurse call systems business blogs.uwe.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. AI and Animal Welfare: Spotlight on the Centre for Machine Vision blogs.uwe.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. New book delivers decades of machine vision research into the hands of students, engineers and researchers uwe.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.