Abstract
The question of what can and what cannot be automated challenged engineers, scientists, and philosophers even before the term automation was defined. While this question may also raise ethical and educational issues, the focus here is scientific. In this chapter the limits of automation and mechanization are explored and explained in an effort to address this fundamental conundrum. The evolution of computer languages to provide domain-specific solutions to automation design problems is reviewed as an illustration and a model of the limitations of mechanization. The current state of the art and a general automation principle are also provided.
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Abbreviations
- AI:
-
artificial intelligence
- CAS:
-
collision avoidance system
- CAS:
-
complex adaptive system
- CASE:
-
computer-aided software engineering
- COBOL:
-
common business-oriented language
- DSDL:
-
domain-specific design language
- DSL:
-
digital subscriber line
- DSL:
-
domain-specific language
- DoD:
-
Department of Defense
- EEC:
-
European Economic Community
- MIT:
-
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- MIT:
-
miles in-trail
- SOA:
-
service-oriented architecture
- SQL:
-
structured query language
- UML:
-
universal modeling language
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Patton, R.D., Patton, P.C. (2009). What Can Be Automated? What Cannot Be Automated?. In: Nof, S. (eds) Springer Handbook of Automation. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_18
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