    automation or automatic control, is the use of various control systems for operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories, boilers and heat treating ovens, switching in telephone networks, steering and stabilization of ships, aircraft and other applications with minimal or reduced human intervention. some processes have been completely automated. the biggest benefit of automation is that it saves labor, however, it is also used to save energy and materials and to improve quality, accuracy and precision. the term automation, inspired by the earlier word automatic (coming from automaton), was not widely used before 1947, when general motors established the automation department. it was during this time that industry was rapidly adopting feedback controllers, which were introduced in the 1930s. automation has been achieved by various means including mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic and computers, usually in combination. complicated systems, such as modern factories, airplanes and ships typically use all these combined techniques. ==types of automation==  one of the simplest types of control is on-off control. an example is the thermostats used on household appliances. although technically it is a form of automation, its capabilities are primitive. (old style hvac systems used crude thermostats that were limited to on-off control, but some modern systems use more sophisticated sensors and digital controllers for variable speed fans or controlling other functions.) sequence control, in which a programmed sequence of discrete operations is performed, often based on system logic that involves system states. an elevator control system is an example of sequence control. the advanced type of automation that revolutionized manufacturing, aircraft, communications and other industries, is feedback control, which is usually continuous and involves taking measurements using a sensor and making calculated adjustments to keep the measured variable within a set range. (see also: continuous production.) ===open and closed loop=== all the elements constituting the me
Automation Engineering_disciplines Industrial_automation