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Control System Design - Index | Book Contents |
Chapter 1
| Section 1.5
1. The Excitement of Control Engineering
1.5.8 Algorithms
Finally, we come to the real heart of control
engineering--the algorithms that connect the sensors to the
actuators. It is all to easy to underestimate this final aspect of
the problem.
As a simple example from the reader's everyday experience,
consider the problem of playing tennis at top international level.
One can readily accept that one needs good eyesight (sensors) and
strong muscles (actuators) to play tennis at this level, but these
attributes are not sufficient. Indeed, eye--hand coordination
(i.e., control) is also crucial to success.
Thus beyond sensors and actuators, the control engineer has to be
concerned with the science of dynamics and feedback control. These
topics will actually be the central theme of the remainder of this
book. As one of our colleagues put it: Sensors provide the
eyes and actuators the muscle, but control science provides the
finesse.
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