Feedback Control in the History of Technology

This chapter gives an overview of the application of feedback controlFeedback control throughout technological development. In technological systems, the goal is to ensure that some physical quantities, such as temperature, pressure, velocity, or altitude (and many others), show some desirable, prescribed behavior over time. Negative feedbackNegative feedback stabilizes, while positive feedbackPositive feedback amplifies even the initially minor differences. Outriggers, mechanical clocksMechanical clocks, steam enginesSteam engine, aviation technologies, and electronics are the main stages of progress toward the Space Travel Age. Feedback controlFeedback control systems played a crucial role in space exploration.