'machine-controlled' originates from the combination of 'machine' and 'controlled', where 'machine' refers to a mechanical device and 'controlled' means regulated or directed.

'Machine' comes from the Latin word 'machina', and 'controlled' is derived from the Old French 'contreroller', meaning to check or regulate.

Initially, 'machine-controlled' referred to any process or device regulated by a machine, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.