Systems, cybernetics, control, and automation (SCCA) are four interrelated and overlapping scientific and technological fields that have contributed substantially to the development, growth, and progress of human society. A large number of models, methods, and tools were developed that assure high efficiency of SCCA applied to practical situations. The real-life applications of SCCA encompass a wide range of man-made or biological systems, including transportations, power generation, chemical industry, robotics, manufacturing, cybernetics organisms (cyborgs), aviation, economic systems, enterprise, systems, medical/health systems, environmental applications, and so on. The SCCA fields exhibit strong influences on society and rise, during their use and application, many ethical concerns and dilemmas.
This book provides a consolidated and concise overview of SCCA, in a single volume for the first time, focusing on ontological, epistemological, social impact, ethical, and general philosophical issues. It is appropriate for use in engineering courses as a convenient tutorial source providing fundamental conceptual and educational material on these issues, or for independent reading by students and scientists.
Included in the book is:
• Background material on philosophy and systems theory
• Major ontological, epistemological, societal and ethical/philosophical aspects of the four fields that are considered
• Over 400 references and a list of 130 additional books in the relevant fields
• Over 100 colored photos and 70 line figures that illustrate the text
Author Biography:
Spyros G. Tzafestas was born in Corfu, Greece on December 3, 1939. Degrees: B.Sc. in Physics (1962) and P.G. Dipl. in Communications (1963) from Athens Univ. D.I.C. and M. Sc. (country-region Eng.) in Control from London Univ. (1967). Ph.D. in Systems and Control from Southampton Univ. (March 1969). Positions: Research leader at 'Demokritos' Res. Center in Computer Control (1969-1973). Professor of Control Systems at the Electrical Engineering Dept. of Patras Univ., Patras, Greece (Oct. 1973-Mar. 1985). Professor in Control and Robotics, Dir. of R&A Lab. at the School of E.& C. Eng. (SECE) of the Natl. Tech. Univ. of Athens (NTUA, Apr. 1985-Aug. 2006), Director of NTUA Inst. Comm. & Comp. Syst. (1999-2009). Supervisor of 35 Ph.D., and over 100 Master Theses. Recipient of D.Sc. (Southampton Univ.) and two honorary doctorates in engineering (TU Munich, Germany, and EC Lille, France). Over the years he worked in D. P.S., M.V. and M.D. Systems, Robotic systems, and AI, KB and CI control techniques (over 700 papers). He is a LIFE FELLOW of IEEE and a FELLOW of IET (IEE). Founding editor of J. Int. and Robotic Syst. (1988-2006). Chief Editor of the Springer ISCA book Series. Editor of 40 research books and 25 journal special issues. Organizer and/or chair of many Intl. conferences (IEEE CDC, EUCA, etc.), and coordinator of many national and European projects in IT, CIM, Robotics, Intelligent Systems, and Control. Author of seven international books and seven Greek books, His biography is included in more than 30 international biographical volumes. Currently, Dr. Tzafestas continues his scientific work at NTUA as a Professor Emeritus-Senior Research Associate of SECE.
