Simon, the Very Simple Mechanical Brain
By designing Simon, we shall see how we can put together physical equipment for handling information in such a way as to get a very simple mechanical brain. At every point in the design of Simon, we shall make the simplest possible choice that will still give us a machine that: handles information, transfers information automatically from one part of the machine to another, and has control over the sequence of operations. Simon is so simple and so small, in fact, that it could be built to fill up less space than a grocery-store box, about 4 cubic feet. If we know a little about electrical work, we will find it rather easy to make Simon.
What do we do first to design the very simple mechanical brain, Simon?