13 Facts About Josef Kates

Josef Kates, born Josef Katz, was a Canadian engineer whose achievements include designing the first digital game-playing machine, and the world's first automated traffic signalling system.

Josef Kates's parents ran a grocery store and an import-export business in Vienna.

Josef Kates enlisted in the British Army but, before he could see service, he and other Germans and Austrians resident in Britain were interned as enemy aliens.

Josef Kates was deported to Canada where he remained interned for almost two years until he and most of his fellow Jewish internees were recognised by the government as "victims of Nazi aggression" and released.

At the camps in New Brunswick and Quebec, Josef Kates fished, worked as a lumberjack, knitted socks and studied for his high school diploma through McGill University's high school matriculation program, placing first in Quebec's province-wide exams.

Josef Kates started his career working for the Imperial Optical Company of Toronto in 1942, and was in charge of precision optics for Royal Canadian Navy equipment until he left in 1944.

Josef Kates then began work in 1948 at the University of Toronto Computation Centre, where he participated in the design and building of UTEC, the first pilot model of a computer built in Canada.

Josef Kates built the first digital game playing machine, the 13-foot tall Bertie the Brain, which was exhibited at the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition.

Josef Kates designed Toronto's automated traffic signalling system in 1954 - the first in the world.

Josef Kates served as a computer consultant to many Canadian and American firms and organizations.

Josef Kates was involved in the creation of Setak Computer Services Corp.

Josef Kates was chairman, CEO and director of Teleride Sage Ltd.

In 2014, at the age of 93, Josef Kates designed a proposed improvement for Toronto Transit Commission subway system.