Book excerpt: Control technology permeates every aspect of our lives. We rely on them to perform a wide variety of tasks without giving much thought to the origins of the technology or how it became such an important part of our lives. Control System Applications covers the uses of control systems, both in the common and in the uncommon areas of our lives. From the everyday to the unusual, it's all here. From process control to human-in-the-loop control, this book provides illustrations and examples of how these systems are applied. Each chapter contains an introduction to the application, a section defining terms and references, and a section on further readings that help you understand and use the techniques in your work environment. Highly readable and comprehensive, Control System Applications explores the uses of control systems. It illustrates the diversity of control systems and provides examples of how the theory can be applied to specific practical problems. It contains information about aspec ts of control that are not fully captured by the theory, such as techniques for protecting against controller failure and the role of cost and complexity in specifying controller designs.