Prescribing Action

The last step in the continuum is where machines take over our world, and human beings can relax and be served by their robot slaves. This vision might seem science fiction, but automated processes have been part of our lives for many decades.

Industrial systems need to be controlled by operators to ensure that they produce the outcomes we need. When, for example, a tank of chemicals reaches a certain low level, a pump needs to be started to fill it again, and the operator needs to monitor the tank. Manual systems require a human operator to review measurements of the state of the system and take appropriate action. The first level of automation uses a control loop to measure the level of the tank and an automated valve.

Almost all contemporary manufacturing processes use these first-generation control loops. The problem with these systems is that they rely on preset conditions that might not be suitable when external circumstances change. Traditional control systems measure...