Knowledge expansion:
Automation refers to the process that machines, equipment, systems or processes (production and management processes) achieve the expected goals through automatic detection, information processing, analysis, judgment, manipulation and control according to human requirements without direct participation.
Automation technology is widely used in industry, agriculture, military, scientific research, transportation, commerce, medical care, service and family. Using automation technology can not only liberate people from heavy physical labor, part of mental labor and bad and dangerous working environment.
But also can expand the functions of human organs, greatly improve labor productivity and enhance human ability to understand and transform the world. Therefore, automation is an important condition and symbol for the modernization of industry, agriculture, national defense and science and technology.
1946, D.S. Harder, a mechanical engineer of Ford Company in the United States, first put forward the word "automation" and used it to describe the automatic transmission and machining process of engine cylinders.
In 1950s, with the development of automatic regulator and classical control theory, automation entered the stage of local automation with single variable automatic regulator system as the main body. In 1960s, with the appearance of modern control theory and the popularization and application of electronic computers, the combination of automatic control and information processing made automation enter the comprehensive automation stage of optimal control and management of production process.
In 1970s, the object of automation became a large-scale complex engineering and non-engineering system, which involved many problems that modern control theory could not solve.
The research on these problems has promoted the innovation of automation theory, methods and means, resulting in the systematic control of large-scale systems and intelligent control of complex systems, and the emergence of advanced automation systems that comprehensively utilize the achievements of computers, communication technologies, systems engineering and artificial intelligence.
Such as flexible manufacturing system, office automation, intelligent robot, expert system, decision support system, computer integrated manufacturing system, etc.