# 1954 CBS "THE SEARCH" DOCUMENTARY M.I.T. AUTOMATIC ROBOTS & DIGITAL COMPUTERS WHIRLWIND 88394

This film is an episode of ‘The Search’ a pioneering educational program that aired on CBS. This episode takes a look at the laboratories and plants that pioneered the development of automatic machines in 1954. It takes a tour through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, the Bell Laboratories in New York, and others locales. It is narrated by Charles Romine (:47). Professor Donald B. Campbell (:52) of MIT, is the leading authority on automatic machines and their processes. In North Grafton, Mass. the Wyman-Gordon Company’s ‘Big Squeeze’ machine (1:21). This was one of two of the largest hydraulic presses in the US which forged aluminum as well as magnesium parts (1:29). using a pressure of 18,000 tons (2:07). These performed only mechanical functions. The film turns to MIT with the FELIX robot searching for sunlight (3:24). Professor Wiener (3:56) explains that FELIX demonstrates how machines can use human senses such as sight. FELIX was able to perceive light similar to the way in which primitive animals do (5:13). Light is collected by photoelectric cells which move his rudder and steer him (5:29). Other machines, such as guided missiles and sonic torpedoes were already using human senses as when they were fired, they chased the sound of ships (5:49). In the MIT digital computer lab, Jay Forrester, the director (6:35) is seen with the Whirlwind (6:37). This computer was able to carry out 25,000 arithmetic operations per second (7:08). Researchers feed a…

- Kind: Documentary
- By: PeriscopeFilm
- Genres: Documentary, Industrial and advertising
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/88394-automatic-machines-research)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/88394-automatic-machines-research?play=1)