Selector box made by Dextralog, around 1975, attached to textile looms by sensor leads.

In the early 1970s, the Dextralog system solved a problem facing the textiles industry. It sparked a revolution in how we use computers to make decisions. Dextralog used early computer technology to gather real-time data about how a weaving mill’s looms were performing. If a loom stopped, Dextralog pinpointed where, when and why. Now workers and managers had instant access to information that could drive better decisions and higher production and profits.

Setting standards in machine monitoring, Dextralog showed computers could transform data gathering and decision making.

This selector box attached to a loom with sensors. If the loom stopped, the weaver could log the reason why by pressing a button.