19:
1413:
1425:
1437:
69:
In 1946, Ashby described the design of the units thus "Its principle is that it uses multiple coils in a milliammeter & uses the needle movement to dip in a trough carrying a current, so getting a potential which goes to the grid of a valve, the anode of which provides an output current." It was
116:
In her online biography of Ashby, Jill Ashby wrote of the homeostat, that "In 1961, Ross took it with him to the
Biological Computing Laboratory, University of Illinois and left it there when he retired in 1970. Apparently, it was damaged soon after that when the area where it was being kept was
88:
The first published account of the homeostat appeared under the title of "Design for a Brain" in the
December 1948 issue of 'Electronic Engineering', where he speculates about a perfected homeostat that could eventually play chess "with a subtlety and depth of strategy beyond that of the man who
50:
After a few technical hiccups with short-circuits causing burn-outs, the homeostat was finally completed on 16 March 1948. It was an adaptive ultrastable system, consisting of four interconnected
30:
is one of the first devices capable of adapting itself to the environment; it exhibited behaviours such as habituation, reinforcement and learning through its ability to maintain
826:
543:
1393:
361:
868:
316:
includes a biography, bibliography, letters, photographs, movies, and fully indexed images of all 7,189 pages of Ashby's 25 volume journal.
1377:
271:
1206:
440:
1367:
81:
heard of Ashby's intention to build the homeostat, he wrote to Ashby to suggest that he could run a simulation on Turing's
1372:
819:
410:
638:
66:— automatically adapting its configuration to stabilize the effects of any disturbances introduced into the system.
1221:
1073:
420:
82:
1441:
354:
333:
303:
1417:
812:
788:
480:
319:
63:
1101:
455:
385:
39:
1429:
1121:
924:
778:
668:
523:
470:
395:
339:
1398:
1111:
981:
768:
573:
174:
109:
1463:
1261:
1236:
1191:
1039:
1034:
996:
971:
648:
347:
18:
1136:
1029:
793:
733:
693:
495:
475:
435:
1424:
1266:
1201:
1181:
1171:
1131:
1116:
1091:
1049:
1044:
898:
888:
883:
698:
673:
613:
538:
465:
415:
35:
1331:
1246:
1186:
1156:
1081:
939:
934:
858:
723:
618:
578:
1326:
1196:
1058:
1009:
991:
763:
713:
658:
593:
583:
513:
490:
113:. In total, between 1946 and 1967, he wrote 38 entries about the homeostat in his journal.
1296:
1281:
1256:
1231:
1151:
1146:
1106:
1024:
1019:
1014:
929:
878:
835:
753:
743:
643:
628:
608:
603:
588:
568:
528:
518:
445:
307:
275:
187:
100:
51:
287:
268:
1351:
1346:
1341:
1311:
1286:
1276:
1271:
1241:
1166:
1161:
1126:
1086:
1054:
976:
961:
893:
863:
748:
708:
703:
678:
653:
623:
558:
553:
548:
533:
485:
430:
390:
126:
107:. In the same year he published a description of the homeostat in his influential book
59:
1457:
1336:
1251:
1211:
1096:
919:
903:
773:
758:
738:
728:
683:
663:
633:
505:
425:
1316:
1216:
1141:
783:
688:
563:
405:
246:
W.R. Ashby, Design for a Brain, Electronic
Engineering, 20, 379-383, December 1948.
96:
described it as "the closest thing to a synthetic brain so far designed by man".
1306:
1301:
1291:
1226:
966:
853:
718:
598:
460:
400:
371:
104:
78:
71:
31:
269:
Decisions and noise: the scope of evolutionary synthesis and dynamical analysis
156:
1321:
1176:
329:
217:
986:
873:
450:
200:
157:
Homeostat description and circuit diagram on pages 2431-2 of Ashby's journal
145:
234:
55:
843:
169:
Peter A. Cariani. "The
Homeostat as embodiment of adaptive control".
804:
201:
Description of the
Homeostat's unit from Ashby's journal page 2094
17:
313:
808:
343:
146:
The W. Ross Ashby
Digital Archive, Journals, vol.11, p2435.
70:
the realization of what he had described in 1946 as an "
304:
The
Thinking Machine: W. Ross Ashby and the Homeostat
1386:
1360:
1072:
948:
912:
842:
504:
378:
324:, (Chapman & Hall, London): available as a PDF
820:
355:
211:
209:
85:(ACE) instead of building a special machine.
8:
370:Subfields of and cyberneticians involved in
99:In 1952, Ashby demonstrated it at the ninth
288:Ashby's journal references to the Homeostat
34:in a changing environment. It was built by
954:
827:
813:
805:
362:
348:
340:
278:, Ezequiel A. Di Paolo and Inman Harvey.
58:, and magnetically driven, water-filled
138:
218:"Biography: W. Ross Ashby (1903-1972)"
183:
172:
7:
1436:
159:, The W. Ross Ashby Digital Archive.
1378:Systems theory in political science
326:, Principia Cybernetica Web, 1999.
290:The W. Ross Ashby Digital Archive.
237:The W. Ross Ashby Digital Archive.
203:The W. Ross Ashby Digital Archive.
14:
314:The W. Ross Ashby Digital Archive
222:The W. Ross Ashby Digital Archive
1435:
1423:
1412:
1411:
54:bomb control units with inputs,
441:Cybernetics in the Soviet Union
1368:Systems theory in anthropology
322:An Introduction to Cybernetics
224:. The Estate of W. Ross Ashby.
1:
1373:Systems theory in archaeology
310:Science Blog, 20 April 2016.
1480:
421:Computational neuroscience
83:Automatic Computing Engine
1407:
1005:
957:
869:Coupled human–environment
334:Principia Cybernetica Web
274:27 September 2011 at the
22:W. Ross Ashby's homeostat
594:Charles Geoffrey Vickers
481:Second-order cybernetics
64:law of requisite variety
1202:Charles A. S. Hall
456:Engineering cybernetics
386:Artificial intelligence
40:Barnwood House Hospital
1122:Ludwig von Bertalanffy
779:Walter Bradford Cannon
669:Ludwig von Bertalanffy
524:Alfred Radcliffe-Brown
471:Management cybernetics
396:Biomedical cybernetics
391:Biological cybernetics
320:W. Ross Ashby (1956):
255:The thinking machine,
182:Cite journal requires
23:
1399:Principia Cybernetica
1112:Anthony Stafford Beer
982:Sociotechnical system
739:Anthony Stafford Beer
574:Ernst von Glasersfeld
62:. It illustrated his
21:
1262:Mihajlo D. Mesarovic
1237:Edward Norton Lorenz
1192:Jay Wright Forrester
997:World-systems theory
972:Earth system science
769:Valentin Braitenberg
649:Jay Wright Forrester
216:Ashby, Jill (2008).
1137:Kenneth E. Boulding
794:William Grey Walter
734:Sergei P. Kurdyumov
694:N. Katherine Hayles
476:Medical cybernetics
436:Conversation theory
1267:James Grier Miller
1222:Faina M. Kirillova
1182:Heinz von Foerster
1172:Edsger W. Dijkstra
1132:Alexander Bogdanov
1117:Richard E. Bellman
1092:William Ross Ashby
774:William Ross Ashby
699:Natalia Bekhtereva
674:Maleyka Abbaszadeh
614:Heinz von Foerster
539:Buckminster Fuller
466:Information theory
416:Catastrophe theory
259:, 24 January 1949.
235:Alan Turing letter
110:Design for a brain
36:William Ross Ashby
24:
1451:
1450:
1332:Manuela M. Veloso
1247:Humberto Maturana
1187:Stephanie Forrest
1157:C. West Churchman
1082:Russell L. Ackoff
1068:
1067:
940:Positive feedback
935:Negative feedback
802:
801:
724:Ranulph Glanville
639:Jakob von UexkĂĽll
619:Humberto Maturana
579:Francis Heylighen
74:making machine".
1471:
1439:
1438:
1427:
1415:
1414:
1327:Francisco Varela
1059:Systems thinking
992:Urban metabolism
955:
829:
822:
815:
806:
789:Warren McCulloch
764:Valentin Turchin
714:Pyotr Grigorenko
659:John N. Warfield
584:Francisco Varela
544:Charles François
514:Alexander Lerner
491:Sociocybernetics
411:Neurocybernetics
364:
357:
350:
341:
291:
285:
279:
266:
260:
253:
247:
244:
238:
232:
226:
225:
213:
204:
198:
192:
191:
185:
180:
178:
170:
166:
160:
154:
148:
143:
1479:
1478:
1474:
1473:
1472:
1470:
1469:
1468:
1454:
1453:
1452:
1447:
1403:
1382:
1356:
1297:Anatol Rapoport
1282:Talcott Parsons
1257:Donella Meadows
1232:Allenna Leonard
1152:Mary Cartwright
1147:Kathleen Carley
1107:Gregory Bateson
1102:Béla H. Bánáthy
1064:
1001:
950:
944:
930:Limiting factor
925:Leverage points
908:
846:
838:
836:Systems science
833:
803:
798:
754:Talcott Parsons
744:Stuart Kauffman
644:Jason Jixuan Hu
629:Igor Aleksander
609:Gregory Bateson
604:Gordon S. Brown
589:Frederic Vester
569:Erich von Holst
529:Allenna Leonard
519:Alexey Lyapunov
500:
446:Decision theory
374:
368:
308:British Library
300:
295:
294:
286:
282:
276:Wayback Machine
267:
263:
254:
250:
245:
241:
233:
229:
215:
214:
207:
199:
195:
181:
171:
168:
167:
163:
155:
151:
144:
140:
135:
123:
101:Macy conference
52:Royal Air Force
48:
12:
11:
5:
1477:
1475:
1467:
1466:
1456:
1455:
1449:
1448:
1446:
1445:
1433:
1421:
1408:
1405:
1404:
1402:
1401:
1396:
1390:
1388:
1384:
1383:
1381:
1380:
1375:
1370:
1364:
1362:
1358:
1357:
1355:
1354:
1352:Anthony Wilden
1349:
1347:Jennifer Wilby
1344:
1342:Norbert Wiener
1339:
1334:
1329:
1324:
1319:
1314:
1312:Claude Shannon
1309:
1304:
1299:
1294:
1289:
1287:Ilya Prigogine
1284:
1279:
1277:Howard T. Odum
1274:
1272:Radhika Nagpal
1269:
1264:
1259:
1254:
1249:
1244:
1242:Niklas Luhmann
1239:
1234:
1229:
1224:
1219:
1214:
1209:
1204:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1179:
1174:
1169:
1167:George Dantzig
1164:
1162:Manfred Clynes
1159:
1154:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1134:
1129:
1127:Margaret Boden
1124:
1119:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1099:
1094:
1089:
1087:Victor Aladjev
1084:
1078:
1076:
1070:
1069:
1066:
1065:
1063:
1062:
1052:
1047:
1042:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1006:
1003:
1002:
1000:
999:
994:
989:
984:
979:
977:Living systems
974:
969:
964:
962:Control theory
958:
952:
946:
945:
943:
942:
937:
932:
927:
922:
916:
914:
910:
909:
907:
906:
901:
896:
891:
886:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
856:
850:
848:
840:
839:
834:
832:
831:
824:
817:
809:
800:
799:
797:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
771:
766:
761:
756:
751:
749:Stuart Umpleby
746:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
709:Norbert Wiener
706:
704:Niklas Luhmann
701:
696:
691:
686:
681:
679:Manfred Clynes
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
654:Jennifer Wilby
651:
646:
641:
636:
631:
626:
624:I. A. Richards
621:
616:
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
571:
566:
561:
559:Claude Bernard
556:
554:Margaret Boden
551:
549:Genevieve Bell
546:
541:
536:
534:Anthony Wilden
531:
526:
521:
516:
510:
508:
506:Cyberneticians
502:
501:
499:
498:
493:
488:
486:Cybersemiotics
483:
478:
473:
468:
463:
458:
453:
448:
443:
438:
433:
431:Control theory
428:
423:
418:
413:
408:
403:
398:
393:
388:
382:
380:
376:
375:
369:
367:
366:
359:
352:
344:
338:
337:
327:
317:
311:
299:
298:External links
296:
293:
292:
280:
261:
248:
239:
227:
205:
193:
184:|journal=
161:
149:
137:
136:
134:
131:
130:
129:
127:Systems theory
122:
119:
89:designed it."
60:potentiometers
47:
44:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1476:
1465:
1462:
1461:
1459:
1444:
1443:
1434:
1432:
1431:
1426:
1422:
1420:
1419:
1410:
1409:
1406:
1400:
1397:
1395:
1392:
1391:
1389:
1387:Organizations
1385:
1379:
1376:
1374:
1371:
1369:
1366:
1365:
1363:
1359:
1353:
1350:
1348:
1345:
1343:
1340:
1338:
1337:Kevin Warwick
1335:
1333:
1330:
1328:
1325:
1323:
1320:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1310:
1308:
1305:
1303:
1300:
1298:
1295:
1293:
1290:
1288:
1285:
1283:
1280:
1278:
1275:
1273:
1270:
1268:
1265:
1263:
1260:
1258:
1255:
1253:
1252:Margaret Mead
1250:
1248:
1245:
1243:
1240:
1238:
1235:
1233:
1230:
1228:
1225:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1215:
1213:
1212:Lydia Kavraki
1210:
1208:
1205:
1203:
1200:
1198:
1197:Barbara Grosz
1195:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1185:
1183:
1180:
1178:
1175:
1173:
1170:
1168:
1165:
1163:
1160:
1158:
1155:
1153:
1150:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1140:
1138:
1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1113:
1110:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1097:Ruzena Bajcsy
1095:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1079:
1077:
1075:
1071:
1060:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1007:
1004:
998:
995:
993:
990:
988:
985:
983:
980:
978:
975:
973:
970:
968:
965:
963:
960:
959:
956:
953:
947:
941:
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
921:
920:Doubling time
918:
917:
915:
911:
905:
902:
900:
897:
895:
892:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
851:
849:
845:
841:
837:
830:
825:
823:
818:
816:
811:
810:
807:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
765:
762:
760:
759:Ulla Mitzdorf
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
729:Robert Trappl
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
684:Margaret Mead
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
664:Kevin Warwick
662:
660:
657:
655:
652:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
634:Jacque Fresco
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
560:
557:
555:
552:
550:
547:
545:
542:
540:
537:
535:
532:
530:
527:
525:
522:
520:
517:
515:
512:
511:
509:
507:
503:
497:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
482:
479:
477:
474:
472:
469:
467:
464:
462:
459:
457:
454:
452:
449:
447:
444:
442:
439:
437:
434:
432:
429:
427:
426:Connectionism
424:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
407:
404:
402:
399:
397:
394:
392:
389:
387:
384:
383:
381:
377:
373:
365:
360:
358:
353:
351:
346:
345:
342:
335:
331:
328:
325:
323:
318:
315:
312:
309:
305:
302:
301:
297:
289:
284:
281:
277:
273:
270:
265:
262:
258:
252:
249:
243:
240:
236:
231:
228:
223:
219:
212:
210:
206:
202:
197:
194:
189:
176:
165:
162:
158:
153:
150:
147:
142:
139:
132:
128:
125:
124:
120:
118:
114:
112:
111:
106:
102:
97:
95:
90:
86:
84:
80:
75:
73:
67:
65:
61:
57:
53:
45:
43:
41:
37:
33:
29:
20:
16:
1440:
1428:
1416:
1361:Applications
1317:Katia Sycara
1217:James J. Kay
1207:Mike Jackson
1142:Murray Bowen
1040:Pharmacology
1035:Neuroscience
784:Walter Pitts
689:Marian Mazur
564:Cliff Joslyn
406:Biosemiotics
321:
283:
264:
256:
251:
242:
230:
221:
196:
175:cite journal
164:
152:
141:
115:
108:
98:
93:
91:
87:
76:
68:
49:
27:
25:
15:
1464:Cybernetics
1307:Peter Senge
1302:John Seddon
1292:Qian Xuesen
1227:George Klir
1030:Engineering
967:Cybernetics
949:Theoretical
899:Recommender
889:Multi-agent
884:Information
719:Qian Xuesen
599:Gordon Pask
496:Synergetics
461:Homeostasis
401:Biorobotics
372:cybernetics
105:cybernetics
79:Alan Turing
72:Isomorphism
38:in 1948 at
32:homeostasis
1322:Eric Trist
1177:Fred Emery
1074:Scientists
1050:Psychology
1045:Philosophy
874:Ecological
859:Biological
133:References
117:flooded."
987:Systemics
451:Emergence
379:Subfields
330:Homeostat
28:homeostat
1458:Category
1418:Category
1020:Dynamics
1010:Analysis
913:Concepts
879:Economic
272:Archived
121:See also
92:In 1949
56:feedback
1442:Commons
1025:Ecology
1015:Biology
894:Nervous
864:Complex
332:in the
1430:Portal
1055:Theory
951:fields
904:Social
844:System
46:System
847:types
77:When
1394:List
257:Time
188:help
94:Time
26:The
854:Art
103:on
42:.
1460::
306:,
220:.
208:^
179::
177:}}
173:{{
1061:)
1057:(
828:e
821:t
814:v
363:e
356:t
349:v
336:.
190:)
186:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
