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Article: The logic that dares not speak its name. (fuzzy logic)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- April 16, 1994
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A HOVERING helicopter is one of the world's more improbable sights. It teeters forever on the edge of instability; only continuous adjustments by the pilot keep it airborne. The pilot is able to do this because, during his training, he has learnt to "feel" what the machine is up to. He knows how to respond to each little pitch and yaw. Automating such a process is a nightmare, but Michio Sugeno, of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, has done it. Better still, to fly his remote-controlled helicopter you simply talk to it.
Putting the human voice in charge of what is already a difficult task may sound like unnecessary complication. In fact, it makes perfect sense. Dr ...