Contemporary systems and cybernetics: Innovative applications

The purpose of this paper is to introduce innovative systems that are currently being developed worldwide. They include reviews of Artificial life machines; Poker‐playing “bots”; Advanced systems to harness a human's electrical field; “smart beer mat”; computer vision surveillance system; robotic systems for gastric surgery; future combat systems.

General review and survey of selected research and development topics.

Illustrates the multi‐and trans‐disciplinary nature of cybernetics and systems. Aims to further research and development activity.

The choice of reviews provides an awareness of the current trends in these areas of endeavour but are necessarily selective.

The reviews are selected from a global database and give a studied assessment of current research and development initiatives.