I controlled interceptors using the SAGE system back in the mid to late 70's. While it wasn't perfect, it was pretty darn impressive. The pilots would slave their autopilot to our data link and my computer inputs would control the interceptor while the pilot focused on using the aircraft's radar and weapons systems to complete the intercept. In essence, I was flying the airplane using my SAGE computer. It was pretty amazing. A lot of the technology that went into creating the internet was first developed for SAGE as radar sites sent their images to the SAGE computer over telephone and the computer took all that data to create a comprehensible, usable image. That data could then be manipulated by the controller putting inputs into the computer while viewing the screen, or scope. The first "mouse" was a lightgun. We owe a tremendous debt to those scientists who developed SAGE.
No Problem, Gary. Thank you for getting back to me. The one at Stewart is still there although its been abandoned for as long as I can remember. When I first discovered it, I was in a Civil Air Patrol squadron when I was a kid back in the early 90's. It was already abandoned for quite some time before then. There were talks from a local politician to make into a Cold War museum; however, the current owners insist it should be demolished. Anyway, thank you for your service. You guys involved with Cold War defense and the Atomic Age were pioneers!
Cool, thanks for posting it… I just read about SAGE having the first computer art** and this video gave me a much better mental image of what it was like. A comment said SAGE ran at 740 kHz, matching the processor for a 1971 4-function calculator. **"The Never-Before-Told Story of the World's First Computer Art (It's a Sexy Dame)", online at TheAtlantic
My favorite part was when he said "capable of calculating data in split seconds..." plural. Still... it's great that crazy scientists got the idea to work and didn't listen to their elders about how the concept of electrical computation was a waste of time and should stick to pen and paper.
While controlling interceptors the computer would update the image and calculations every 15.7 seconds. Add electronic jamming to the mix from B-52's trying to jam the ground radars and the interceptor's radars then the update time would really climb. "Split seconds"? Not in my experience. But a lot of what we have today in computers got started with SAGE.
i was realy expectin much less from the first computer generated imiges.. that was amazing it showed in real time maps.. with plans and details of them.. wow...
Something tells me none of the men who worked around these things ever reproduced, the EMF levels had to through the roof. Anyone get a massive migraine just thinking of what it's like to work at IBM?
