Industrial television: a survey of history, requirements and applications

Progress in the applications of television to fields other than entertainment has been much slower than was at first anticipated. From a survey of the history and requirements of the technique it is concluded that the initial approach was misguided and the results consequently discouraging. The economic basis of industrial television is then analysed and current and future trends in equipment design are briefly considered. A survey of some typical established applications is given which covers the four major fields, namely industry, commerce, science and education; applications are classified under four headings, respectively control and surveillance, data transmission, instructional and experimental. The paper concludes by postulating an eventual reversal of the present relative importance of the entertainment and utilitarian applications.