SEAC and the Start of Image Processing at the National Bureau of Standards

Introduction

Computer image processing began at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1957. The beginning of image processing and the construction of the early National Bureau of Standards Electronic Automatic Computer (SEAC) computer made possible the experiments that led to image processing.

SEAC, was the first electronic computer with an internally stored program in the United States Government. It was the first of three computers built at NBS (1). It was designed, built, and operated at NBS by engineers, scientists, and mathematicians. A later machine, the SWAC, built after SEAC but before DYSEAC, is described by Huskey (30).

Originally, SEAC was developed as an interim facility while NBS was awaiting the delivery of the first commercial computer to be used by the Bureau of the Census and subsequently by the Army and the Air Force. Its successful completion made computation possible at NBS both for the sponsors and many other government agencies a year before any commercial computer was delivered. Notwithstanding the original interim nature of SEAC, this successful resource, with all its subsequent enhancements, continued to function usefully for the government for over 13 years.

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