James Watt took a machine invented by Christian Huygens to regulate the rotational angular velocity of a windmill blade and used it to regulate the speed of a steam engine, creating the so-called Watt centrifugal governor, which is the first cybernetic machine ever made—a system of feedback control.

factualpending

Speaker

David Krakow

Evidence Quote

James wat took a machine that had been invented by Christian hyans to regulate the rotational angular velocity of a windmill blade and use them to regulate the speed of an engine this is the so-called watt centrifugal governor and this device is the first cybernetic machine that was ever made uh a system of feedback control

Source

Part One: Complex WorldSanta Fe Institute
Created: 8/10/2026, 10:52:22 PM

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