Inventions and Innovations Summary

Innovations and inventions are created over time by an ongoing evolutionary process that consists of improvements and refinements.

The development of technology is the results of refinement to an original invention. The definition of an invention is a new/useful process, tool, machine, etc., that did not exist previously. The definition of an innovation is introducing new ideas/methods to an established process, tool, machine, etc. to produce marketable items.

A patent is something granted by the government to an inventor who wants to protect the rights and idea of his invention(s).

In the United States, the first person to record and document the idea and create a working model and applies for the patent will receive it.

Automobile invention: 1672 - Ferdinand Verbiest; scale model of a steam car, 1769 - Nicolas Cugnot; steam powered tricycle, also credited for first self-propelled vehicle, 1807- Nicephor Niepce; first internal-combustion engine, 1879 - Karl Benz; used internal-combustion engine to power a vehicle, credited with world's first automobile, 1821 - Thomas Blanchard created an assembly line with interchangeable parts, 1902 - Ransom Olds debuted a larger version of Blanchard's manufacturing system for automobiles, 1914 - Henry Ford enhanced the assembly line to what we know today.

Ford starting using innovative practices in the workplace such as safety, efficiency, and wages.

Because of Ford, a car could now be produced in 15 minutes. Automobile technology increase with items such as the electric starter.

The example of the automobile supports that technological development is evolutionary because inventors keep improving on previous ideas until the automobile was born. The basic invention that started the automobile was the scale model of the steam powered car