POSTED BY RAFAEL ON JANUARY 7, 2013 IN SCIENCE
Innovation is a concept that has been recently accepted by society. Although innovation has occurred throughout history, actually it took place at a slower pace and was not as visible as it is today. Regarding scientific practice, and generally speaking, innovation is seen as directly linked to technology, while in pure science other concepts such as invention or discovery are used rather than innovation.
As specialists affirm, although these three concepts are directly linked with technology development, they have some different implications. For instance, a discovery is related to the detection of something that, although already existed, had been previously unknown. However, in the case of concepts of innovation and invention, they are both closely linked to technology by means of attempting to solve practical problems.
Ultimately, innovation and invention are concepts that have represented achievements in applied or design sciences. However, from the point of view of technology, the main difference between them lies in the fact that an invention reaches only the stage of creating a prototype, while an innovation implies its introduction into the market or in the production practices of an organization. Therefore, and again generally speaking, innovations require of inventions, i.e., require of prototypes being tested and validated before their practical introduction into the market or a specific organization.
Technology moves so quickly that sometimes we are not really aware of how far it has advance along human civilization history. Thus, we are offering you information about some of the latest inventions (still not considered as innovations because are in the prototype stage), that some years ago might be considered as science fiction, but that today are a reality. Of course, there are numerous more inventions. Moreover, some of these are based on previous innovations or inventions, but anyway the current results have a great merit.
The Xenon Ion Engine
The Xenon Ion Engine developed by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), known as NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT), has already broken some records just at the prototype stage. This engine, aimed at capturing asteroids in a near future, barely consumes fuel, and it is the spatial engine that has managed to remain longer in ignition without refueling or stopping. It has been operating continuously for more than five years.
NEXT is a type of electric propeller using power generated by solar spacecraft panels in order to accelerate ions and produce propulsion speeds that can reach 40,000 meters per second. As some specialists put it, this type of propulsion will enable us to reach some space places we are just dreaming to reach today.
The X-47B Aircraft
Although the first so called invisible aircraft dates back some 20 – 30 years ago, its most recent version, X-47B, combines stealth technology with robotics. It is the first drone capable of taking off and landing from an aircraft carrier. The X-47B has been produced by the Northrop Grumman Company answering a special request of US Navy. The X-47B will change war strategy forever, and the fact this drone can take off and land successfully from an aircraft carrier, is considered as something historic in military circles.
The fact is this will allow deploying warplanes in a matter of hours anywhere in the world. Furthermore, undoubtedly, it can be considered a huge technological advance to change from humans piloting warplanes to machines doing it. Some specialists even compare this progress to the first landing of an aircraft on a warship in 1911.
As several specialized sources inform, for the moment being the X-47B is only a test model, but the Northrop Grumman Company is working hard to obtain a more advanced and ready to service version by 2019. There are some specialists affirming this drone will never be used, however, it groups and incorporate numerous technological advances representing the rise of a new conception for planes with civil and commercial purposes as well.
Atlas, the Robot of Boston Dynamics
The US Company Boston Dynamics has recently developed a humanoid robot able to test the resistance of various protective equipments. The result is Atlas, a humanoid robot that moves smoothly despite its 150 kilos.
The robot is equipped with a set of sensors including a stereo system formed by two High Definition cameras, which are supported by four LEDs groups and a laser to compile and monitoring information about the surrounding environment. These sensors generate 1Gbps data being analyzed by the robot in real time. Atlas also counts with specially designed hands enabling the robot to move and manipulate objects.
The AC72 Catamaran
This 10 million dollars catamaran is revolutionizing the sailing sport. It has two stylized keels reaching over 20 meters, and its fixed sail raises about thirteen stories above the water. The sailboat is able to double the wind speed it receives and, as some specialists state, it seems to fly over the water when reaches full speed. Nevertheless, handling it is not an easy task, and even sailboats driving specialists have suffered serious accidents when testing it.
T8, the Hexapod Robot
The Company Robugtix has just produced T8, a hexapod robot imitating a real tarantula. The robot is based on a Bigfoot Kinematics Engine able to calculate movements for a multiple legs system counting with 26 servomotors. All these joints enable completely real movements and allow the robot to dance fluidly as directed by people, by using a command console, or by programming its behavior. The T8 mechanical structure is covered with a black 3D printed shell giving it a stunning look. It is powered by four AA batteries and weighs just one kilo.
If you want more information about the latest scientific inventions, you can check the links below:
- http://www.livescience.com/topics/invention/
- http://www.inventor-strategies.com/latest-science-inventions.html
- http://www.popsci.com/tags/inventions
- http://www.popsci.com/2015-invention-awards
Definition of science can also be derived as inventions or pursuing to improve your knowledge about everything. Science, the subject all about knowing new things and its procedures has also led to latest Science inventions. These inventions are made in all the fields which belong to science. Astronomy, the study of space and the substances present in them leads to lots of new inventions.
Few of the important inventions in this field that has been developed recently are NASA’s GRAIL-B satellite successfully enters the orbit of Lunar. This goes and joins its twin satellite GRAIL-A. The main purpose of this satellite is to study the gravitational field of the moon. This will also help in getting to know the fluctuations of moon by giving a map of it. This in turn will be a great help for the scientist’s t know the origin of the moon. That is how exactly the moon was formed. This is considered as one of the remarkable Science inventions.
Latest inventions in science from all over the world
The first African-American female astronaut by name Mae Jamison was selected to head the DARPA and NASA sponsored Starship project for 100 years. The aim of this project is to do research on the technological and human elements which are very useful for manned interstellar travel. Science inventions play a very important role by inventing the latest tools and equipments which are required to make these researches.
We can also see and feel the help of Science inventions in our daily life. Kitchen gadgets like hand blenders, grinders, microwave oven, electric cookers, tea cattle’s, conventional stoves are also among the few inventions done with the help of science. All these machines are very time efficient and improves the quality of cooking. Other things like an iron box, washing machine, air condition, LED’s and LCD’s, laptops, broadband internet connection everything is invented with the help of science.The field of archeology is also being benefited with the help of scientific innovations. In the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale, archeologists have found a tulip shaped fossil and they have formally named it as Siphusauctum gregarium.
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