On 20th July, 1969, 10:56 PM Eastern time, Neil Armstrong, an American astronaut, became the first man to step on the moon, earning himself a golden spot in the history books for a lifetime. Since the early days of man, to the first Homo Sapiens and the early pirates, man has always explored, in whatever capacity they can, and technology has been at the core of it all.
How it all Began
Technology always has a purpose when it is created. For instance, search engines were developed to sort through enormous amounts of online data. Every time a technology is upgraded, it combines with earlier ones to produce a new product that is superior to the old one. It keeps going on and on.
Early technology dates back to years ago when the first ship was built. Then came the first compass around 1044AD, increasing man’s reach in the universe. In 1519, the world recorded the first successful voyage around the world.
When we realise that some time ago, it took people days to move between neighboring states, perhaps we would feel lucky to only get stuck in traffic for a few hours. Luckily for us, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot of France built the first automobile in 1769, as recognized by many official bodies. On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz applied for a patent for what many believe to be the first gasoline-powered automobile, slashing the reasonable time for travel to mere hours.
Technology has taken us on a journey from writing on walls to building common tools and making fires with stones. It has grown exponentially, from directional maps to navigation systems, and now self-driving cars. As a people, we’ve come a long way, charting our course through the pages of history, while creating advanced technology.
Benefits of Technology in World Exploration
With technological advancements, exploration became much easier. Here are some ways that this has been to our advantage.
Deep Sea Exploration
The ocean covers about 70% of the world’s surface, over which 80% remains unexplored. Experts often say that we know more about the moon than we do about the oceans, and for a long time, scientists assumed life in the deepest part of the sea was impossible. Remarkably, as more exploration began in the nearly 20th century, they found it was possible.
Underwater robotics has been useful for rescue and search operations underwater. In recent times, underwater robots are used in ocean research; to explore marine resources, map the topography of the seabed, and build and maintain marine engineering structures.
Ocean researchers use underwater robots, such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). These robots can travel to parts of the ocean that are too risky or challenging for people.
Space Exploration
With recent technological advancements, we can travel further into the galaxy to explore unexplored terrain and perhaps even find new phenomena. Due to the development of AI rovers, we can explore cold rivers and blazing caves. According to some theories, AI may also aid the search for extraterrestrial life.
Just like underwater robots, rovers can tolerate more extreme circumstances than a human could, such as the harsh environment of the solar system. These recent developments mean that the intervals between space milestones, such as the moon landing, the construction of the first space station, or the voyager mission, will only shorten.
Aerial Photography and Geo-Mapping
As man looked to the sky in search of more wisdom, more innovations led to the birth of drones, and they came bearing fruits of aerial photography, geo-mapping, and landscaping.
Aerial photography has made it possible to explore the planet, and experience it from a birds-eye perspective. Drones provide incredibly detailed maps when used with small vertical-looking cameras, oblique camera systems, and contemporary photogrammetric software.
The data outputs from aerial mapping are used more and more in the quickly evolving domains of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Although this trend is not yet established, it is certain that in the coming years, ever-more automated methods will be used to gather the incredibly precise and accurate data accessible from aerial mapping.
It is safe to say that technology is the gift that keeps on giving, especially in exploring our dear planet. It gives us every tool we need to seek the answers we’re so desperately keen to find. To combat the dangers and drawbacks of exploration, more sophisticated equipment has entered the market, arming us with everything needed to discover and inhabit new territories.
