The Apollo 11 Mission gave us so many incredible things, along with landing on the moon. But do you know what other incredible technological advances this amazing mission created and how many of these creations are still used today?
With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing still fresh in our minds - it inspired this blog to dig in a little deeper. After all the amazing tributes, videos, art installations, gatherings, museum pieces, and beautiful stories told in remembrance of Apollo 11 there is still a little bit more behind the picture that a lot of people don't realize. The reminder of the 50th anniversary is a reminder that this whole mission was extremely unlikely to happen as soon as it did, and on many levels, it almost didn't happen. But at its amazing core, it rapidly developed the pace of technology and development. Things needed to be fixed now, and they were. This mission and the Apollo journey also caused a dramatic shift in electronics and computer systems. But thanks to these all-new innovations three brave men made it to the moon, thanks to the brilliant minds left behind on earth. But, did you know a lot of that technology that was sitting at the command station or in the lunar lander is still used to this day? So many incredible and important gadgets and things were created by this amazing mission and we have better technology today because of it! The Apollo missions were responsible for the creation of the fly-by-wire, mainly influenced and created out of a suggestion made by Ohio Astronaut Neil Armstrong. This was a huge new upgrade that went from controlling machines by pedals and sticks by their pilots moved into a total digital computer to control it. The fly-by-wire is used on basically every commercial airplane today! The whole system of controlling the rocket launches and any machines went from mechanical control to digital control, which bled into everyday technology not long after man was on the moon. This was the birth of computer-controlled cars. These missions also lead to the birth of the integrated circuit, the technology that was the birth of the microchip. This technology did away manual assembly of separate transistors. They are used in nearly all electronic equipment today. The integrated circuits were developed to create a small computer system that was very light an didn't take up a lot of room, nor did it require massive power. Thus, your laptop was born. Intel Corp, your laptops, and blackberries, and cellphones may never have been invented without the Apollo team. Due strongly to the horrible disaster fire of the Apollo 1 mission, more fire-resistant materials were created especially for the Apollo 11 mission. These materials were made out of a substance called PBI. The Apollo 11 mission was more focused on in-flight suits and these new suits were used for all kinds of space exploration and was instrumental for space flight. You'll find it today in firefighters suits and motorsports for race suits. But DuPont started using a material called Nomex after the use of PBI which is being used in most race suits and was found in the 21 layers that made up the space missions during the Apollo 11 missions. The company that created the spacesuits for the Apollo 11 Crew, and that still build them today, are the same company that builds the lighter than air components found in the Goodyear Blimp. Special heat coating was created for the Apollo 11 mission to enter safety back into the atmosphere lead to a spin-off product to create heat resistant paints and foams for planes. This lead to the creation of the first epoxy. Portable self-contained drills that were made for the Apollo program specifically to drill at least 10 feet into the lunar surface to take samples back home had an incredibly strong lightweight core to it. Black and Decker took this new technology to create a mini vacuum cleaner. You might know it as a little something called a Dust Buster! Other Amazing inventions and inspirations from the Apollo 11 and Apollo missions also include:
2 Comments
Controlling some of the most popular games on our phones, computers, and game systems - along with some incredible technology to come - what is the difference between AR and VR and what should we be expecting of them in the years to come?
Technology has become something that many of us can't live without. It grows and changes almost daily and it affects the way we work, play, communicate, spend our time, and our money. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest trending gadget and the best way to spend your time and money on this new technology. But one of the biggest trends is the two types of artificial reality that is starting to creep into our daily lives, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. What's the difference? Is one better than the other? Which one will be more beneficial in our lives and which one has the biggest future ahead of itself? Hopefully, this blog will shine a light on all of those questions! Augmented Reality You might not even know it - but if you have one of the latest smartphones or tablets, you are carrying around Augmented Reality with you every day. Augmented Reality, or AR, is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where objects that resides in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated information. Translation; it is a technology that superimposes computer-generated images on a user's view of the real world. It expands the world around you all by looking at the screen in your hand. Have you ever played Pokemon Go (Niantic 2016)? That is one of the most popular AR examples. When you open up the app, you are seeing the world around you with another layer added on top of it when you look at your screen. AR is also found in direction apps like Google Maps, apps that help you find your car in a crowded parking lot, shopping apps that let you try on clothes and accessories from the comfort of your home, and apps that let you decorate your home before spending a dime. What about that ever famous app called Snapchat? Those cute puppy filters? You guessed it, that is a prime example of Augmented Reality! The very first appearance of any kind of artificial reality was in 1968. It was developed by Ivan Sutherland and Bob Sproull who created the first ever head-mounted display that was called "The Sword of Damocles". It was a simple device that displayed primitive computer graphics into the world around them. The true birth of AR was in the 1990s where it was first used in TV and in the Military. Once it took its first step the technology exploded. Believe it or not before it became incredibly popular in game use, it appeared in many other forms. AR Uses that AREN'T Games.
AR PROS:
Virtual Reality Now let's talk a little bit about Virtual Reality. Virtual reality, or VR, replaces your vision competently. It is a completely artificial, computer-generated simulation of a real life experience. This type of reality typically requires a VR headset such as a HTC View, Oculus Rift, or a PlayStation VR set for the user to be fully immersed. Sometimes you hold a controller to interact in this world around you - other times you're wearing gloves with sensors inside of them. Once you put on the gear, your field of vision is replaced and you are totally immersed in the world around you. Never had the opportunity to see a famous concert that happened before you were born? Want to experience a roller coaster from the comfort of your living room? Want to be inside of a video game and really experience that life? That is the beauty of Virtual Reality. You can play games and experience different worlds around you safer, cheaper, and whenever you want to. But the technology is slow - and its growth and usage has been much slower compared to its AR counterpart. It is also harder to access and share in the business world. Say you are at a work conference and someone hands you a tablet or phone - you can see their products right in front of you within seconds. If VR is used in that capacity, it takes time to clean the headset and restart the application or program you want to experience. It has very limited use right now in the world outside of gaming - and the future of it being used commercially is very slow. Best Non "Gaming" VR Uses (Current and Future)
So, which reality seems better to you thus far? Just like AR - VR has it's own set of pros and cons. VR Pros:
With this knowledge - what do you think is best? It all comes down to opinion. They are both incredible forms of technology that need to be respected - and have an exciting future ahead of them. But it looks like AR might beat VR in that race. AR is already used daily from the palm of your hands in your smartphone to protecting our country. It's affordable, easy to use and understand, and can keep you involved and learning with the world around you. But VR can take you to new worlds and help you experience things that you may never have the opportunity to in safe and affordable ways. VR technology could surprise us all and become more affordable and more business savvy when we least expect it - but for now, it is a gamer's paradise. Now that you know a little bit more about AR and VR what is your next venture into this world of computer-generated reality going to be? Hackers are out there, and they do not care if you are a locally owned business or a chain with multiple buildings around the state. They want your data, and they will do whatever it takes to steal it.
An interesting aspect to the story of cybercrime and small businesses is that some, if not most, do not even realize they were hacked. Not having the correct defense system in place is compromising your business’ ability to properly protect your user data. One of the reasons why data hacks are happening so frequently and with such ease is the number of devices used by individuals. Employees of small businesses are accessing business information on mobile devices as well as desktop devices, leaving access lines open for hackers. The best news there is, however, is that NetCertPro is the best cybersecurity protection in the Lowcountry. Having protection across all of your company’s computers increases the likelihood of stopping hackers in their tracks. If you are interested in learning more about our services, please visit other pages of our website! |
AuthorJeremy Sonntag & Archives
November 2019
Categories
All
|