Rob Pike • 2/25/2018

CERN's iPod-like control devices, from 1973

The article discusses a 1973 CERN technical memo describing programmable control knobs for the Proton Synchrotron. These innovative devices, with features like variable resistance and spring return, are presented as a direct precursor to Apple's iPod click wheel and iPhone interface, highlighting how major research institutions often pioneer foundational technologies decades before commercialization.

0 comments

#input devices #human-computer interaction #user interface