Mechanische Black Boxes

The black box is any system, process, or device whose internal operations are unknown to the observer. If we know the input information and are aware of what is to happen after passing through the black box, we can derive its inner arrangement based on observing the responses of the black box to external stimuli (such as turning the wheels). The black box method is used in practice for testing programmes. The basic principle consists of invoking an error state of the programme by entering random numbers and various input data. We may also see a faulty device that we are trying to repair as a black box. By different experiments we attempt to reveal how it works in order to identify the cause of the fault.