Kees Schouhamer Immink

President and founder of Turing Machines Inc., a Dutch-based research and consulting firm that contributes to science and technology., Ph.D. - Eindhoven University of Technology.


Professor Schouhamer has recommended books in the following areas:

Information Theory

Coding

Machine Learning

Gems: Recording

Others

Kornelis Antonie (Kees) Schouhamer Immink (born 18 December 1946) is a Dutch scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur, who pioneered and advanced the era of digital audio, video, and data recording, including popular digital media such as Compact Disc, DVD and Blu-ray Disc. He has been a prolific and influential engineer, who holds more than 1100 U.S. and international patents. A large portion of the commonly used audio and video playback and recording devices use technologies based on his work.[3] His contributions to coding systems assisted the digital video and audio revolution, by enabling reliable data storage at information densities previously unattainable.

Immink received several tributes that summarize the impact of his contributions to the digital audio and video revolution. Among the accolades received are the IEEE Medal of Honor “for pioneering contributions to video, audio, and data recording technology, including compact disc, DVD, and Blu-ray”, the Edison Medal and an individual Technology Emmy award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands bestowed him a knighthood in 2000.

Currently, Immink holds the position of president of Turing Machines Inc, which was founded in 1998. During his career, Immink, in addition to his practical contributions, has contributed to information theory. He wrote over 120 articles and four books, including Codes for Mass Data Storage Media. He has been an adjunct professor at the Institute for Experimental Mathematics, University of Duisburg and Essen, Germany, since 1994, as well as affiliated with the National University of Singapore (NUS) as a visiting professor since 1997.

Awards and honours:

  • IEEE Medal of Honor, for pioneering contributions to video, audio, and data recording technology, including compact disc, DVD, and Blu-ray, 2017

  • Faraday Medal IET, 2015

  • Lifetime achievement finalist, European Inventor Award, 2015

  • Eduard Rhein Technology Award, for contributions to the theory and practice of channel codes that enable efficient and reliable optical recording, and creative contributions to digital recording technology awarded by the Eduard Rhein Foundation (Germany, 2014).

  • Honorary doctorate (dr.h.c.) from the University of Johannesburg, in recognition of the remarkable contributions he has made to intellectual and public life (South Africa, 2014)

  • Member Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen, Haarlem, 2012.

  • Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Engineering (USA, 2007)

  • SMPTE Progress Medal awarded by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, for the central role played in research and development of audio and video recording products (USA, 2004)

  • IEEE Consumer Electronics Engineering Excellence Award (USA, 2004)

  • Heyser Memorial lecturer awarded by the Audio Engineering Society (USA, May 2004)

  • Technology and Engineering Emmy Award awarded by the National Television Academy, for coding technology for optical recording formats(USA, 2003)

  • Inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame (USA, 2003)

  • Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands, 2000)

  • Honorary Member of the Netherlands Electronics and Radio Society (Netherlands, 2000)

  • Millennium Medal awarded by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (USA, 2000)

  • AES Gold Medal awarded by the Audio Engineering Society, for significant contributions to the advancement of consumer audio technology (USA, 1999)

  • IEEE Edison Medal, for a career of creative contributions to the technologies of digital video, audio, and data recording. (USA, 1999)

  • Golden Jubilee Award for Technological Innovation awarded by the IEEE Information Theory Society, for the invention of constrained codes for commercial recording systems (USA, 1998)

  • AES 50th Anniversary Commemorative Medal awarded by the Audio Engineering Society (USA, 1998)

  • Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (Netherlands, 1996)

  • Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (USA, 1996)

  • IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award for pioneering contributions to consumer digital audio and video recording products (USA, 1996)

  • Alexander M. Poniatoff Gold Medal Award for Technical Excellence awarded by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, for outstanding contributions to the development of new techniques and/or equipment that have contributed to the advancement of audio or video magnetic recording and reproduction (USA, 1994)

  • Sir J.J. Thomson Medal awarded by the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), 1993, for distinguished contributions to electronics.

  • Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (FIEE) (United Kingdom, 1993)

  • Chartered Engineer (CEng) (United Kingdom, 1993)

  • AES Silver Medal awarded by the Audio Engineering Society, for major contributions to the development of digital audio recording systems (1992, USA)

  • Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society (1992, USA)

  • Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, for contributions to optical laser recording and compact disc digital audio systems (USA)