Progress never stands still, and the miniaturization of technology is one of its most significant steps; like the Moon landing but less flashy. It has revolutionized the way we interact with the world, but a revolution can be hard to spot when you’re immersed in it.
In this article we will explore the ways miniaturization has changed our lives for the better.
What is the Miniaturization of Technology?
Miniaturization of technology could also be called “shrinking”. Devices shrink, that is, we successfully manufacture them to be smaller. Remember when the TV looked like a box and weighed like a small elephant?
TV sets evolved in several steps. They strived not only for image quality but also the miniaturization of the whole set.
- 410 kg, or 903 lbs – weight of the first TV (try to mount that on a wall)
- 40 kg, or 88 lbs – weight of an old 25” CRT TV
- 5.3 kg, or 11.6 lbs – weight of a 32” QLED TV
And TV is not the sole example. Pretty much everything tech keeps getting reduced in size. Phones, personal computers, cameras, headphones, data storage devices, even cars.
Advances in electronics have made it possible to fit an enormous quantity of transistor nodes on a square nanometre of space. This means the actual working component can be minuscule and the body surrounding it can be scaled down and/or enhanced.
The Impact of Miniaturized Tech
Apart from the fact that the miniaturization of technology has enabled us to create new types of gadgets, it has also changed our perceptions and expectations. This effect is not very obvious, but its importance is often understated.
When faced with two gadgets of otherwise identical features, we are going to pick the smaller one.
No one would buy an old-school brick-like smartphone. As consumers, we steer the manufacturers with our money. We also recognise (sometimes subconsciously) the direction in which the world of technology is headed.
Is this a good thing?
Personally, I think it’s great, and I know many people would agree with this opinion. We have set the bar for portable, miniaturized tech, because it’s convenient. If you can take your whole archive of documents and fit it onto a tiny chip, there is no reason to deny yourself the efficiency. Once you get a taste of the freedom, you make it your standard.
But we also dream of something more. The era of wearables is beginning in earnest, with AI-powered wearable recorders and consumer-grade exoskeletons. Reduction in size combined with the increase in power seems to be one of those inspiring trends that you just hope keeps on keeping on.
This post has been brought to you by Senstone. As a company, we have been actively contributing to the miniaturization of technology for years. You can visit our homepage – or read another article about cutting-edge inventions and trends. Stay cool!
