Under Control - Systems Monitoring and Self-Regulation - Lecture 4

Explore the fundamental principles of control systems through this historical Christmas Lecture from The Royal Institution, where Leonard Maunder demonstrates how diverse phenomena in both natural and engineered systems operate on similar control principles. Discover the concept of 'closed-loop' operation, where systems measure their output and adjust inputs accordingly to meet specifications, examining examples ranging from controlling the speed of a single rotating machine to managing the entire UK electricity supply. Learn about the remarkable similarities between control mechanisms across different scales and applications, from biological locomotion systems to emerging robotic technologies that can see, feel, and make decisions. Understand how monitoring inputs and outputs enables self-regulation in various systems, and gain insight into the growing field of robotics and automation as presented in this fourth lecture of the 1983 Christmas series focused on movement and motion in the natural and engineered world.