Reese McCrary

  The Roots of Keeping Machines Steady The story of control engineering begins in an era when technology was mechanical and muscle-driven. Operators manually adjusted equipment, relying on skill and quick thinking to keep processes steady. For example, a steam engine in the 1800s demanded constant attention—too much pressure and could fail dramatically. These early challenges shaped a profession built on precision, safety, and adaptability. A Governor That Changed the World One of the first true control devices was James Watt’s flyball governor, which automatically adjusted steam engines to maintain speed. It may look simple by today’s standards, but at the time, it was revolutionary. This was more than an invention—it was a shift in thinking. Machines could manage themselves, at least in part. That idea became the foundation for everything control engineers do today: design systems that respond and adapt without waiting for human hands. Factories Demand New Solutions As industrie...

Controls engineering, as a formal discipline, may seem modern, but its fundamental principles trace back centuries. In the earliest days of mechanization, people found the need to manage and stabilize machines. Early systems were purely mechanical, designed to maintain balance or regulate motion. A notable early example was the centrifugal governor used in steam engines . This device automatically adjusted engine speed, marking one of the first uses of feedback in engineering. Though primitive by today’s standards, these early innovations introduced concepts that would become core to modern control engineering: feedback, regulation, and system stability. These early control efforts helped improve productivity and safety during the Industrial Revolution, but they also revealed the need for more structured, theoretical approaches to controlling complex systems. The Development of Control Theory and Electrical Influence As industries evolved and machines became more advanced, so did the r...