The Future of Electronic Advancement

Can you imagine how far electronic technology had gone in terms of advancement? For the curious minds and the student of technology, the Internet provides all sorts of information on the development of electronics in the 20^th century. To learn how we get here, we start from the beginning.

The Ancient Greeks found that rubbing a pelt on amber will cause a pull between the objects; this was the start of the history of Electricity two thousand years ago. Not until in 1600 that Sir William Gilbert an English physician identified the force created or exerted by substances when they are rubbed on other substances and coined the name electric from the Greek word elektron. In the 17^th century, many electricity-related discoveries had been made, such as the classification of materials as conductor and insulator, the differentiation of positive from negative currents and the invention of an electrostatic generator.

Benjamin Franklin credited as father of electricity, is believed to have executed the famous flying kite during a thunderstorm experiment that led to the identification of the relationship between electricity and lightning and the creation of lightning rod in 1752.

In the year 1800, Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist discovered that certain chemical reactions could produce electricity and thereafter created the earliest device to generate a stable electric current – the voltaic pile and later known as electric battery. The electric term Voltage is named after him after he fashioned the first conduction of electricity through linking positive and negative connectors.

The Electricity becomes possible for use only in 1831. Years later the predecessor of modern day generators is invented by Michael Faraday and decades later the light bulb was invented by Thomas Alva Edison. Almost 2 centuries after this and we have our computers, laptops, Cell phones, I-pods, TV and Stereo sets and many other electronic devices now in use.

Electronics is a branch of science and technology that specializes on the controlled flow of electrons for the purpose of information handling and device control. The control of these electrons in an electronic system is such to produce the desired manner consistent with the intended use. This electronic system is now called Electronic device.

Electronic system or devices on the early stages are so big and are usually intended for radio transmission. Another finer example of how huge these electronic devices are, is the invention of the computer. The early computers are so large it can occupy the entire room and is only capable of performing very minimal number and complexity of the task.

The discovery of semiconductors becomes the catalyst of the exponential growth of electronic technology. A semiconductor is a solid whose electrical conductivity can be controlled by adding impurities. Because of this, fundamental constraints of the early technologies are lifted like cost, availability and efficiency. The sizes of electronic devices become smaller, production is less costly and opportunity for more inventions widened.

With the emergence of a newcomer technology greatly impacted on electronics – Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale and creation of devices within that size including but not limited to electronic devices and circuit components. This technology further pushes the creation of very minute electronic devices and components to a variety of applications.

Yet another emerging newcomer technology is Robotics. Robotics is specifically an engineering technology for the creation of Robots or machines with artificial intelligence. Robotic technology involves Mechanical, Software and Electronic technology.

This course of very rapid electronic advancement in the last 2 centuries is unprecedented. Many studies were made to measure the potential rate of the technological increase on this area for study. The study shows a technological progression that is not overall and specific changes occurred tardily but this was interrupted by sets of major discoveries, which accelerate the rate of advancement many times in an instant.

The future of electronics is very unpredictable. Attempt to predict when these major breakthroughs may occur, fails in such a way that developments in electronics may be a commodity long before their initial emergence is predicted. As of the moment, the momentum of electronic advancement is rapidly rolling and there is no telling where to take us next.