Which device is often described as the brains of an automated machine in the given material?

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Relays are described as the brains because they sit in the control path and make the decisions that drive the machine’s actions. In a basic hard-wired control setup, energizing a relay coil changes the state of its contacts, which then energizes or de-energizes outputs. This built-in logic allows the system to interpret inputs from sensors and decide which actuators to activate, effectively controlling the sequence of operations. Motors, sensors, and pneumatic actuators have specific roles—motors provide motion, sensors detect conditions and feed information, and pneumatic actuators produce movement. The relay network handles the decision-making that links inputs to outputs, earning its description as the brains in this material.