Society is constantly evolving as new inventions and technology make life easier, more convenient, and more interesting. However, it’s not always the biggest inventions that make the most impactful advancements. Sometimes, it’s the small things that make the biggest difference. For instance, going all the way back to the invention of the round wheel, it’s easy to see how something so simple can change the course of humanity forever.
5 Small Advancements in Technology
It might seem like the most significant advancements are behind us, but there are always new technologies changing our world for the better. Here’s a list of just a handful of things that keep our society running.
Hydraulics
At first glance, you might not realize how much of our society depends on hydraulics, but this technology is heavily integrated into the world at every angle. For example, large equipment used to run on pneumatic power, which uses pressurized air or gas to function. Hydraulics uses pressurized liquid, like oil or water, and that makes all the difference.
Machines powered by pressurized systems are limited in power by the amount of pressure that can be produced. Since hydraulic fluids are incompressible and have a high mass density, they can create significantly more pressure than pneumatic systems. The use of hydraulics also eliminates the unexpected drops in pressure and fluctuations that you get from pneumatic systems using compressed air and gas.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both types of systems, but when you need that additional power, hydraulics become necessary. Taking that one step further, today there’s no need to shut down equipment and bleed the lines just to change attachments on a hydraulic machine to avoid pressure injection injuries. Now there are quick connect couplers that can be installed inline to allow for a quick and easy release to change attachments in the middle of a job without consequence. This simple, yet powerful technology is the only safe and reliable way to release and connect attachments while they’re under pressure.
Coffee machines
Coffee makers are a bigger deal than they seem on the surface. According to the data, 66% of Americans drink coffee every day and they even drink more coffee than other beverages, including water. The fact that people can put a coffee maker in their kitchen and brew a pot anytime they want is huge. It’s also how a lot of people save money on the coffee they drink to get through their workdays.
GPS systems
Most people would be lost without their GPS, whether they use a built-in maps app on their phone or a standalone GPS device. It’s almost unheard of for people to use paper maps on a regular basis. It’s easier to just plug in an address and let the GPS system tell you how to get there, turn by turn.
Drones for video production
Now that anyone can buy a drone and most don’t need to be registered with the FAA, videographers all over the world are using drones to film overhead scenes and get amazing pick-up shots and B-roll footage. Drones are really nothing more than a standard remote-controlled craft, but are far easier to fly than planes and helicopters. Plus, many come with a video camera specifically designed to capture footage.
A simple invention being made available to consumers has changed photography and videography for the better, allowing anyone access to an affordable way to get the shots they really need.
A tankless scuba diving system
Many people love to go scuba diving, but everyone is limited by the amount of oxygen in their tank. You have to keep track of how long you stay underwater so you don’t run out of oxygen. Now there’s a device that floats on top of the water while you dive deep that feeds you oxygen for as long as you want.
Although this sounds amazing, the downside is that you’d have to trust that nothing would interfere with the device that floats on top of the water. If that gets compromised while you’re deep underwater, it could cut off your supply of air. This invention seems like it would be best used with a spotter to ensure your air supply isn’t jeopardized.
Great inventions are often small
Most of the time, it’s the small advancements in technology that make the biggest difference in how we live, work, and interact. However, big inventions can be just as transformative. Whether it’s a sticky note, a paperclip, or a jumbo jet, every new technology has the power to change our lives for the better.
