【Kyushu University】 KT-1 Computer for Translation Experiments

This was a computer for translation experiments, developed in the late 1950s by Kyushu University. It was developed as Japan's first language processing computer employing the indirect translation system for experimental translation between 3 languages (Japanese, English and German). Logical design was primarily done by Kyushu University, and the machine was fabricated by Mitsubishi Electric. Innovations were developed for search instructions and pattern matching, and the system had outstanding character string manipulation capabilities. A 100,000-bit high-speed magnetic drum was used for the main memory, and a transistor-based dynamic flip-flop system was used for logic circuits. The direct component method (a forerunner of phrase structure grammar) was used for language logic. The distinguishing feature of the processing system is that it collected the distinctive character of each language in a table, and a common program was used for translation in any direction.


KT-1

Early Computers

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