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On the Radar Screen: SAGE

MITRE Corporation

On the Radar Screen: SAGE

1953

In the 1950s, the U.S. Air Force contracted with MIT to develop an early-warning radar system to detect intruding aircraft. The result was a system called SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment), which combined radar with computers. SAGE took radar information and created computer-generated pictures. While they look rudimentary by today's standards, SAGE imaging was one of the first examples of a graphical interface and paved the way for the eventual use of 3D computer images. Here, a SAGE computer known as Whirlwind I generates and displays aircraft positions, circa 1953.