Difference between revisions of "Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory"

From Computer History Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (→‎External links: +SAIL DECsystem-10/20 Hardware Manual)
(Add info on SAIL's computing resources; add ref to SUDS)
Line 3: Line 3:
 
It was founded in 1963 by John McCarthy, and was initially housed in the D. C. Power building (named after a person, Donald Clinton Power, not [[direct current|D. C. power]]), located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, over the campus.
 
It was founded in 1963 by John McCarthy, and was initially housed in the D. C. Power building (named after a person, Donald Clinton Power, not [[direct current|D. C. power]]), located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, over the campus.
  
−
Although focused on AI work, on which it achieved much, SAIL made a number of significant contributions in computer science generally, such as the [[WAITS]] [[operating system]].
+
In 1980, SAIL was shut down as an independent institution; the remains of the Lab were merged into Stanford's Computer Science Department.  The remnants moved out of the famed D. C. Power building, leaving [[CCRMA]] behind, and moved into the CS Department's location in Margaret Jacks Hall on the main campus.  
  
−
In 1980, SAIL was shut down as an independent institution. The AI lab moved out of the famed D. C. Power building, leaving [[CCRMA]] behind. The remains of the Lab were merged into Stanford's Computer Science Department, and moved into the CS Department's location in Margaret Jacks Hall on the main campus.  
+
SAIL was re-opened as an independent entity in 2004.
  
−
SAIL was re-opened in 2004.
+
Although focused on AI work, on which it achieved much, SAIL made a number of significant contributions in computer science generally; one notable one was one of the very first [[CAD]] systems, [[Stanford University Design System|SUDS]].
 +
 
 +
==Computing resources==
 +
 
 +
Throughout most of its early life, SAIL principally used [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] [[PDP-10]] machines, running their own [[WAITS]] [[time-sharing]] [[operating system]]. They started with a [[PDP-6]]; later, a [[KA10]] was added (eventually equipped with a [[BBN Pager]]); finally a [[KL10]] (received in trade for the design engineering fror the [[Superfoonly]], done at SAIL, the basis of the KL10) became the main machine.
  
 
==File repository==
 
==File repository==
  
−
From 1972 to 1990, the [[file]]s on the SAIL [[time-sharing]] [[PDP-10]] were regularly backed up onto [[magnetic tape]]s, which were carefully saved and stored. By the end of SAIL's (first) life, these amounted to almost 3,000 low-density, 7-track tapes. These were carefully copied onto a final set of 229 reels of high-density 9-track magnetic tape, in a project that completed in 1990. In 1998, the contents were copied again, onto other media, and a project, SAILDART, was started to make them publicly available over the [[Internet]]. SAILDART is "a digital archive promulgating records from SAIL"; it is now available (see links below).
+
From 1972 to 1990, the [[file]]s on the SAIL PDP-10 were regularly backed up onto [[magnetic tape]]s, which were carefully saved and stored. By the end of SAIL's (first) life, these amounted to almost 3,000 low-density, 7-track tapes. These were carefully copied onto a final set of 229 reels of high-density 9-track magnetic tape, in a project that completed in 1990. In 1998, the contents were copied again, onto other media, and a project, SAILDART, was started to make them publicly available over the [[Internet]]. SAILDART is "a digital archive promulgating records from SAIL"; it is now available (see links below).
  
 
{{semi-stub}}
 
{{semi-stub}}
 +
<!-- ==See also==
  
−
==See also==
+
* [[]]
−
 
+
-->
−
* [[WAITS]]
 
−
 
 
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
  
 
* [https://forum.stanford.edu/wiki/index.php/Early_Computers_at_Stanford#Stanford_Artificial_Intelligence_Lab_.281965_to_1979.29 Early Computers at Stanford]
 
* [https://forum.stanford.edu/wiki/index.php/Early_Computers_at_Stanford#Stanford_Artificial_Intelligence_Lab_.281965_to_1979.29 Early Computers at Stanford]
−
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/sail/SAILON-75A_DECsystem-1020_Hardware_Manual_DEC-10-XSRMA-D_Jan77.pdf DECsystem-10/20 Hardware Manual] - contains details on changes to SAIL's PDP-6 and -10's
+
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/sail/ SAIL] - documents at [[Bitsavers]]
 +
** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/sail/SAILON-75A_DECsystem-1020_Hardware_Manual_DEC-10-XSRMA-D_Jan77.pdf DECsystem-10/20 Hardware Manual] - an appendix in this copy (pp. 227-241 of the PDF) contains details on changes to SAIL's PDP-6 and -10's
 
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20120515090608/www.stanford.edu/~learnest/sailaway.htm SAIL Away] (archived copy)
 
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20120515090608/www.stanford.edu/~learnest/sailaway.htm SAIL Away] (archived copy)
 +
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/stanford/sail/Les_Earnest/Sail_Away.txt SAIL Away] - a later, more up to date version (but missing some older detail)
 
* [https://saildart.org/ SAILDART]
 
* [https://saildart.org/ SAILDART]
 
** [https://saildart.org/simple/ About SAIL DART ● ORG]
 
** [https://saildart.org/simple/ About SAIL DART ● ORG]

Revision as of 23:18, 6 January 2024

The Stanford Artifical Intelligence Laboratory (often known as the Stanford AI Lab, or SAIL for short) was an influential early computer science research organization, at Stanford University.

It was founded in 1963 by John McCarthy, and was initially housed in the D. C. Power building (named after a person, Donald Clinton Power, not D. C. power), located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, over the campus.

In 1980, SAIL was shut down as an independent institution; the remains of the Lab were merged into Stanford's Computer Science Department. The remnants moved out of the famed D. C. Power building, leaving CCRMA behind, and moved into the CS Department's location in Margaret Jacks Hall on the main campus.

SAIL was re-opened as an independent entity in 2004.

Although focused on AI work, on which it achieved much, SAIL made a number of significant contributions in computer science generally; one notable one was one of the very first CAD systems, SUDS.

Computing resources

Throughout most of its early life, SAIL principally used DEC PDP-10 machines, running their own WAITS time-sharing operating system. They started with a PDP-6; later, a KA10 was added (eventually equipped with a BBN Pager); finally a KL10 (received in trade for the design engineering fror the Superfoonly, done at SAIL, the basis of the KL10) became the main machine.

File repository

From 1972 to 1990, the files on the SAIL PDP-10 were regularly backed up onto magnetic tapes, which were carefully saved and stored. By the end of SAIL's (first) life, these amounted to almost 3,000 low-density, 7-track tapes. These were carefully copied onto a final set of 229 reels of high-density 9-track magnetic tape, in a project that completed in 1990. In 1998, the contents were copied again, onto other media, and a project, SAILDART, was started to make them publicly available over the Internet. SAILDART is "a digital archive promulgating records from SAIL"; it is now available (see links below).

External links

Retrieved from "https://gunkies.org/w/index.php?title=Stanford_Artificial_Intelligence_Laboratory&oldid=32565"