Signals Assimilable by Living Organisms and by Machines

Man-machine systems may be highly unified and tightly coupled so that they operate practically as a single entity or they may be loosely coupled so that the interfaces are easily discernible and the interaction easily understood whether the interface be close to the biological organism, as in the case of bio-transducers or close to the machine as in conventional digital computers. In most existing cases, however, there is an unnecessary degree of formalization of the intercommunication in terms of an over-simplified clumsy physical or mathematical model or code. It appears possible to develop communication codes based on mathematical models more closely in conformity with indwelling biological codes and thus to facilitate man-machine and other bio-engineering interactions with expected simplification and performance improvement of machine systems and subsequent development of much more tightly knit, effectively functional man-machine systems.