Cybernetics

 The Immersive Education Initiative is a non profit international group of educators, research institutes, companies, museums and the like. Their mission is dedicated to define and develop the best standards and practices of teaching technological platforms, education programs, and communities of support for game-based learning, mixed reality, virtual worlds, and fully immersive environments like learning caves and domes. This years 2015 immersive education summit will take place Paris France. Details of the fall date will be announced soon. Stay tuned to immersiveeducation.org for more details.



Another cutting edge, featured technology of this years Immersive Initiative is Cybernetics. One definition of cybernetics is "the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things. Cybernetics was first defined in 1948 by MIT mathematics professor Norbert Weiner. Weiner considered Cybernetics "a formalization of the notion of feedback, with the implications for engineering, system control, computer science, biology, neuroscience, and philosophy. A great example of cybernetics that you may be familiar with would be the control of a prosthetic arm or hand based on feedback and electrical impulses received from the brain. The minute voltage signal received from various parts of the brain move a complex system of tiny motors and servos that articulate the prosthetic and is capable of even grabbing objects.

Norbert Weiner

Cybernetics has seen dramatic progress in the past several years. The scientific know-how, engineering, and affordability has made leaps and bounds thanks to technology breakthroughs and the demand for more affordable sensors. Some people say that the recent STEAM and Maker movements has inspired a new generation of young thinkers that will use their their Raspberry Pi, or Arduino to construct cybernetic, robotic arms on their 3D printer. It is  very exciting time to be living in this technological revolution. Do not miss the cybernetic displays and examples that will be appearing at this years 2015 immersive education summit.

Some people think that cybernetics and AI are one and the same, though they are both quite different from each other. It is theorized that AI(Artificial Intelligence) has it's roots in Cybernetics. AI grew from an inspiration and desire to make computers more intelligent, and think more like humans. Cybernetics grew from the desire to understand systems(both biological and technical) that can respond to feedback, and achieve actions, goals or a predicted result. The marriage of the two have spawned many science fiction stories and movies about robots and cyborgs outsmarting mankind and taking over the world. They depict robots as being able to process memories, calculate predictions, and even show human-like emotions. Of course that is SO far off from being actually plausible..or is it? Come to the 2015 immersive education summit in Paris France, and find out.