IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Magazine - July 2018 - 5

Underlying the innovations driving
technological advances are elements
of existing and emerging cybernetics
principles; methodologies for under-
standing and appropriately leveraging
the human element; and systematic
approaches to modeling, analyzing,
and engineering the systems these
principles and methodologies enable
and operate within (however complex
they become and however demand-
ing their particular requirements).
The Society is where it all comes to-
gether-where elemental theories and
technologies are advanced in effec-
tive and complementary ways and
where they are engineered, integrat-
ed, and realized as working systems
that are transforming modern society.
The SMCS's technical committees
(TCs) steer our current technological
focus. Their respective scopes adapt
over time to reflect (with the estab-
lished TCs) and define (with new TCs)
technology trends and important ar-
eas for advancement. Members are
encouraged to join or increase their
involvement in the TCs as contribu-
tors to technology advancement. All
are invited to frequently visit the web-
site (http://ieeesmc.org) to explore the
range of TC activities, which include
awareness computing, intelligent ve-
hicular systems, machine learning,
social computing, brain-machine
interface (BMI) systems, companion
technology, human-computer inter-
action, shared control, biomechatron-
ics and biorobotics systems, block-

chain, infrastructure systems and
services, and model-based systems
engineering. This is only a sampling of
the TC areas currently active across
our principal technical areas of cyber-
netics, human-machine systems, and
systems science and engineering. We
also encourage those who are active
on social media to engage with the
SMCS community on our social media
channels and those of the IEEE, such
as IEEE Collabratec.
The IEEE transactions produced
by the SMCS provide the hubs for
the dissemination of your cutting-
edge journal articles in each of our
main technical areas and the emerg-
ing related area of computational
social systems. Via each of the trans-
actions, the outcomes and impacts
of your work will advance the field
while providing sources for the ar-
ticles and technical highlights of the
popular science and technology me-
dia that sustain the appetite of tech-
nology enthusiasts and inform the
predictions of technology forecasters.
IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics
Magazine conveys the culture of the
Society, including a sense of what our
members are up to and the areas to
which they are attentive.
On a more social and interactive
level, our conferences are where we
invite and anticipate your presence
and contributions for sustaining the
dialog and technical interchange that
drives this era of major impact for the
SMCS. We look forward to interact-

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We want
to hear
from you!

ing with many of you on 7-10 October
2018 at our flagship annual meeting,
the IEEE International Conference
on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, in
Miyazaki, Japan. The exciting techni-
cal program will provide conference
attendees with stimulating exposure
to current thinking on emerging
symbiotic autonomous systems (a
relatively new initiative of the IEEE
Future Directions Committee) and
broad aspects of BMI systems via
our annual workshop on the topic.
The agenda will also feature another
year of the BMI Hackathon and the
inaugural International Brain Initia-
tive Meeting convening researchers
and thought leaders from consortia
around the world.
In closing, I invite your respectful
attention to a section of this issue of
IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics
Magazine devoted to Prof. Lotfi A. Za-
deh, a world-renowned luminary and
SMCS member whom we lost in Sep-
tember 2017. Prof. Zadeh's long career
exemplified the confluence of systems
science and engineering, human-ma-
chine systems, and cybernetics, and
his technical accomplishments and
participation as a Society member
have contributed in many ways to
setting the stage for this era of SMCS
impact. I trust you will enjoy the trib-
ute to Prof. Zadeh. Until next time, I
thank both members and friends for
your contributions to and support for
the Society.

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Ju ly 2018

IEEE SyStEmS, man, & CybErnEtICS magazInE

5
http://www.ieeesmc.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Magazine - July 2018
