Invention and Innovation

Cyberenetic Inventions and Innovations 

era: Antiquity

• Feedback Control
  feedback control systems for flood chambers designed by Ktesibios, Philon and Heron
• -270
  Float regulator for water clock
  Ktesbios of Greece invented a float regulator designed to keep the water level in a tank at a constant depth so that a constant flow of water to a second tank was achieved ... thus the level of the water in the second tank depended on the time elapsed.

Cybernetic Inventions and Innovation 

era: Middle Ages

• 12th Century
  navigational mechanism
  A chariot had a mechanism that turned a statue so that it was always pointing south. A gearing mechanism connectied to the wheels of the chariot turned the statue to keep it aligned to the south, thereby allowing the charioteer to steer a straight course across the land.
• 1588
  Mill-hopper
  The device regulated the glow of grain in a mill according to the speed of rotation of the millstone.

Cybernetic Inventions and Innovations 

era: 1700's

• 17th Century
  Thermostat Control
  Thermostat controlled oven developed by Cornelis Drebbel.
• 1745
  Fantail
  Invented by British blacksmith Edmund Lee, a small fan. which was mounted at right angles to the the main wheel, caused a windmill to face continuously into the wind. picture
• 1746
  Ball-and-cock regulators
  These were used for maintaining the level of hosue water reservoirs.
• 1758
  Float valve regulator in steam boiler
  J Brindley used the regulator in a steam engine for pumping water.
• 1775
  Flush toilet regulators
  in use according to patents issued at this time. Later the flush toilet was refined by Thomas Crapper, a London plumber.
• 1777
  Industrial Temperature Regulator
  Developed by Bonnemain, who used it for an incubator and later for a hot-water heating plant, this was the first temperature regulator suitable for industial use.
• 1788
  Centrifugal Flywheel Govenor
  Watt's design consisted of two pivoted rotating flyballs which were flung outward by centrifugal force. As the speed of rotation increased, the flyballs swung further up and pushed a stream flow throttling valve down, in turn slowing the engine down. This mechanism allowed a constant speed to be achieved automatically.
• ???
  'cataract'
  Similar to a float valve, this device was used in the first steam engines used for pumping in the Cornwall coal mines.
• ???
  Windmill speed regulation
  Using sensors, self-regulating sails were developed to allow speed regulation in windmills.
• 1787
  Centrifugal Govenor
  Thomas Mead developed a system to automatically control the speed of rotation of the millstones in windmills picture

Cybernetics Inventions and Innovations 

era: 1800's

• 18th Century
  Centrifugal Governor
  centrifugal governor used in windmills adapted to control the speed of steam engine by James Watt.
• 1868
  Theory of feedback control systems
  James Clerk Maxwell develops an abstract and general theory of feedback control systems published as writes the treatise "On Governors".

Cybernetics Inventions and Innovations 

Era: current