AKAT-1

AKAT-1 is a historic analog computer.

AKAT-1
AKAT-1
DeveloperJacek Karpiński and Janusz Tomaszewski
Release date1959 (1959)
Marketing targetScience

Constructed in 1959 by Jacek Karpiński and Janusz Tomaszewski it was the world's first transistorised differential equations analyzer.

Background

Karpiński built the device at the Polish Academy of Science's Institute of Automatics. AKAT-1 aimed to simulate various complex dynamic processes like thermodynamics, heat transfer or a shock absorber's mechanics.[1][2] The device's innovativeness was acknowledged by computer science historians, e.g. Maciej Sysło claims it has to be conceded that Karpiński's effort preceded any other similar device.[3] The construction was also lauded for its aesthetical merits. The panel designed by leading Polish artists Emil Cieślar, Olgierd Rutkowski, Stanisław Siemek and Andrzej Wróblewski at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts had been considered to 'innovatively merge all functions in a congruent and attractive form that anticipated the future trends'.[3][4] The machine has been domestically welcomed warmly, having been covered by a host of country-wide media, including national television TVP1 and Polish Film Chronicle.[5][6]

Production

The AKAT-1 was only implemented as protoype. Due to political reasons the system never went into mass production.[7]

Current state

A prototype of the machine is exhibited in the Museum of Technology in Warsaw.

Further reading

  • P. Lipiński Geniusz i Świnie. Rzecz o Jacku Karpińskim, wyd. JanKa, 2014

References

  1. ^ Saylor, Travis (2019). "Chapter 6: Designing and Learning from Modeling and Simulations". Instructional Message Design, Volume 1. doi:10.25776/6j29-yy49.
  2. ^ Zangeneh-Nejad, Farzad; Sounas, Dimitrios L.; Alù, Andrea; Fleury, Romain (19 October 2020). "Analogue computing with metamaterials". Nature Reviews Materials. 6 (3): 207–225. doi:10.1038/s41578-020-00243-2.
  3. ^ a b Lipiński 2014, p. 136
  4. ^ "The Computer Genius the Communists Couldn't Stand". Culture.pl. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  5. ^ Lipiński 2014, p.137
  6. ^ Welbel, Stanisław (December 2015). "Silent star: Cold war sci-fi movies from the Soviet bloc". Acta Historiae Artium. 56 (1): 127–136. doi:10.1556/170.2015.55.1.5.
  7. ^ Here, Poland (27 January 2011). "Poland here: AKAT-1 - Retro Computer - Made in Poland 1959". Poland here. Retrieved 2 December 2024.