Automation

Since the 1960s, the nature of automation has undergone dramatic changes as a result of the availability of computers. For many years, automated machines were limited by the amount of feedback data they could collect and interpret. Thus, their operation was limited to a relatively small number of alternatives. When an automated machine is placed under the control of a computer, however, that disadvantage disappears. The computer can analyze a vast number of sensory inputs from a system and decide which of many responses it should make.