Technology

A. Definition
B. Technology Definitions

A. Definition

Technology is the practical applications of information, knowledge, and experience used in the industry, engineering, and organisational human activities. The Technology is the state of science and knowledge converting the resource outputs through in design, construction, and production of goods and services.

Energy is the power and ability or capacity of a physical system to perform the work. The Energy forms are the heat, kinetic, mechanical energy, electrical power, etc., that can be converted to other forms.

Renewable Energy is any energy resources that is generated from natural processes, and continuously replenished or naturally and constantly regenerated over a short time scale. The Renewable Energy resources are sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides, water, and various forms of biomass, but do not include energy resources derived from fossil fuels, waste products from fossil sources, or inorganic sources. The Renewable Energy technologies range from Solar Energy; Wind Power; Geothermal Energy; Biomass; Hydropower (or Hydroelectric Power); Ocean Energy (Tidal Energy; Wave Energy); Hydrogen Fuel Cell; Fusion Energy, etc.

Solar Energy is a renewable resource that is free and supplies unlimited without pollution or damage the environment, and many technologies can be applied directly for use in homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. The Solar Energy is an electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). Some Solar Energy technologies include solar heating, concentrated solar power (CSP), and solar architecture, and photovoltaic (PV) cells and panels. The potential of Solar Energy is 20,000 times more power than what is needed to supply the entire world, the surface of the earth receives 120,000 terawatts of solar radiation (sunlight). 

Wind Energy (or Wind Power) is the use movement of the wind (air flow) across a landscape to generate mechanical power or electricity through wind turbines. The mechanical Wind Energy or Wind Power can be used for boat, grinding grain, or pumping water as well as the generating electricity by converting this mechanical power into electricity power. The Wind Energy requires extensive areal coverage to produce significant amounts of electrical energy. 

Geothermal Energy is the thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. The production of Geothermal Energy involves drilling wells into the Earth’s crust at approximately a depth of 3 ~ 10 km. Geothermal Energy comes from the sub-surface of the earth, contained in the rocks and fluids beneath the earth’s crust and can be found as far down to the earth’s hot molten rock, magma. Hot water and steam from deep underground can be used to generate electricity in a geothermal power plant. Electricity is generated when geothermal heat produces steam that spins turbines on a generator. It's clean and sustainable, but the possibility is limited to a few locations on Earth and many technical problems exist that limit its utility. 

Biomass Energy (or Biomass Power) is the carbon neutral electricity generated from renewable organic waste (Biomass). This organic waste can include scrap lumber, forest debris, agricultural harvest waste, and other industry byproducts. In Biomass Power plants, wood waste or other waste is burned to produce steam that runs a turbine to make electricity, or that provides heat to industries and homes.

Hydropower (or Hydroelectric Power) is generated by the gravitational force of falling or flowing water to create energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. The common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. Most of the available locations for hydroelectric dams are already used in the developed world.

Ocean Energy is all forms of renewable energy derived from the ocean that is still at an early stage of commercialisation. Wave Energy remains more costly than the other ocean technologies. Tidal range has been deployed in locations globally where there is a strong tidal resource (for example La Rance in France, Sihwa in South Korea), while tidal stream has been demonstrated at pilot scale. There are four main types of ocean technology: Tidal Movement; Wave Motion; Temperature Gradient; Salinity Gradient

Tidal Energy (or Tidal Power) is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of the tides into electricity or other useful forms of energy. The Tidal Energy is the power available from the rise and fall of ocean tides on the principal of a dam or barrage that captures water in a basin at the peak of a tidal flow, then directs the water through a hydroelectric turbine as the tide ebbs.

Wave Energy (or Wave Power) is the energy produced in the motion of ocean waves to energy that is the concept of capturing and converting the energy from wind force waves on ocean surface water to electricity generation. The Wave Energy (or Wave Power) is the renewable energy, used for electricity generation, water desalination, and pumping of water, etc. The process of the wave energy generation is: Wave Capture (convert the wave motion into usable energy); Wave Conversion (mechanical motion is converted into mechanical energy); Power Generation (converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy). 

Hydrogen Fuel Cell is a fuel cell that uses the chemical energy of hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) as fuels to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity from the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst, without combustion. The Hydrogen Fuel Cell produces the electricity, water, and heat in which a catalyst at the anode separates hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons that takes different paths to the cathode. The electrons go through an external circuit, creating a flow of electricity where the protons migrate through the electrolyte to the cathode, and unite with oxygen and the electrons to produce water and heat that is a big improvement over internal combustion engines and nuclear power plants in which produces harmful by-products.

Energy Storage System (ESS) is a device or group of devices assembled that is to convert the electrical energy from power systems and store energy in order to supply electrical energy at a later time when needed. An ESS helps to effectively use and manage the electrical energy also expect the benefit of stable electricity supply and cost reduction (e.g., charging a battery with low-priced night time electricity). Combined an ESS and a private power station such as the Solar Energy or Wind Energy generation system can supply the electricity for 24/7 operable private power network.

Battery is an electric device connected electrically two or more cells for storage or producing electric energy that provides electricity power to electronic devices or machines.

Nuclear Fusion is a nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy. The difference in mass between the products and reactants is manifested as the release of large amounts of energy.

Metallurgy is a science and technology of the metal structure and property.

Corrosion is a natural process of an oxidation or destruction of a component. It is the gradual destruction of materials (usually metals) by chemical reaction with their environment.

Crack is a partial split or break. A Cracking is a fracture of a material along a path that produces a linear discontinuity.

Chemical Element is a substance consisting of atoms which all have the same number of protons that cannot be broken down into simpler substances using chemical methods. There are 118 elements have been identified. (Refer to the Period Table)

Substance is a material with a definite chemical composition and physical characteristics.

Science is the intellectual study of the ​structure and behaviour of ​natural and physical ​world that applies the understanding and knowledge about the universe following a systematic methodology using observation and experimentation. The Science is advanced by research and curiosity about the world and a desire to solve problems.

Laws of Science (or Scientific Laws) is the general rule what always happen that describes or predicts a range of natural phenomena based on repeated experiments or observations. The Laws of Science is defined as a concise, verbal, mathematical, or statement that always remains the same under the same conditions. However, the Laws of Science have no explain why things happen that is answered by scientific theories, not scientific laws.

Computer Science is the scientific and practical approach to computation and its applications that brings together disciplines including mathematics, engineering, the natural sciences, psychology, and linguistics, etc. The Computer Science involves systematically studying methodical processes (e.g., algorithms, protocols, etc.) to aid the acquisition, representation, processing, storage, communication of, and access to information by analysing the feasibility, structure, expression, and mechanization of work processes.

Computer Engineering is a discipline that integrates the electronic engineering with computer sciences to design and develop computer systems and other technological devices including computer hardware and software. The Computer Engineering requires the theories and principles of computing, mathematics, sciences, and engineering that applies these theories and principles to solve technical problems through the design of computing hardware, software, networks, and processes.

B. Technology Definitions

Acoustic Wave is a type of longitudinal waves that is an elastic body wave or sound wave in which particles oscillate in the direction the wave propagates. The Acoustic Waves play a fundamental role in our understanding of the physical world and have a wide range of practical applications, from communication and music to medical diagnostics and industrial testing that is also used in various scientific fields, including seismology, acoustics, and material science.

Advanced Plastic Recycling technologies turn used solid plastic into its gas or liquid raw materials to be remade into brand new plastic for use in virtually any plastic product or packaging. The Advanced Plastic Recycling technologies can be used to regenerate polymers, or breakdown polymer chains to produce feedstock that can be used to create new plastics, fuels, or other products by methods such as dissolving with chemicals or using heat to break them down into original components.

Advanced Treatment Technology uses the State of the Art and research-backed technologies to design with qualities specific to each application across multiple industries: 1) for water treatment, the technology includes the membrane filtration, membrane bioreactors (MBR) and membrane distillation are discussed including case study references; 2) for waste water, the process capable of reducing specific constituents in waste water not normally achieved by other treatment options that may be used in conjunction with mechanical and biological treatment operations.

AgTech (or Agricultural Technology) is any innovated technology used across the value chain to improve efficiency, profitability, safety, sustainability and to reduce the environmental and social costs of current production practices. The AgTech uses science and technology to collect data, analyse efficiency, monitor growth and quality, and more to save money and get better yields that includes hardware and software, business models, new technologies and applications with sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and moisture sensors, etc.

Biochip is a microchip designed or intended to function in a biological environment that is capable of performing thousands of simultaneous biochemical reactions used in toxicological, protein, and biochemical research.

CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing) is software used to design products such as electronic circuit boards in computers and other devices.

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) is the functions and motions of a machine tool are controlled by the prepared program containing coded alphanumeric data.

Combined Charging System (CCS) is one style of connector (plug and port), supporting both AC and DC charging that could be used by all EV and electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) manufacturers to ensure interoperability across the EV charging ecosystem. SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) and the European Automobile Manufacturing Association (ACEA) proposed the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard in 2011 (CCS Combo 1 (CCS1) connector uses the standard U.S., and CCS Combo 2 (CCS2) uses the EU-style of plug and inlet for a 3-phase AC connection) (Refer to the NACS (North American Charging Standard))

Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) is a third party contract development and manufacturing organisation who is positioned for a strategic partnership with expertise in areas the drug innovator seeks. A CDMA is the outsource drug development and drug manufacturing that provides laboratory or packaging services in connection with the chain of manufacture or supply for a given product. (Also, known as a Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO))

Green Tech (or Green Technology) is a type of technology that is considered environmentally friendly based on its production process or its supply chain including produce clean energy, utilise alternative fuels, and less harmful to the environment than fossil fuels. The Green Tech is designed to protect ecosystems and endangered species, reduce carbon emissions, and conserve natural resources that is intended to mitigate or reverse the effects of human activity on the environment, climate change and promoting sustainable development. (e.g., Renewable energy, Electric vehicles, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable agriculture, and Carbon capture, etc.)

Half-life (t1⁄2) is the time required for a quantity to reduce to half its initial value, usually the atoms of a radioisotope to decay and becomes an isotope of another element. The nuclei of radioactive atoms are unstable that breaks down and changes into a completely different type of atom. There are three main types of radiation, called alpha, beta and gamma radiation, which all have different properties. The half-life of a radioactive isotope is the time taken for half its radioactive atoms to decay. Also, the Half-life is applied in the medical sciences, the biological half-life of drugs and other chemicals in the body.

Humanoid (from English human and -oid "resembling") is a machine or creature with the appearance and qualities of a human that is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. A Humanoid Robot is expected to exist and work in a close relationship with human beings in the everyday world and to serve the needs of physically handicapped people that is a professional service robot built to mimic human motion and interaction.

Mesoscale Manufacturing is the process of creating components and products in a range of the gap between Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) processes and conventional miniature machining (approximately from 0.1 mm to 5 mm) with high accuracy and precision using a wide variety of engineering materials. (e.g., microscale fuel cells; microchemical microscale pumps, valves, and mixing devices; biomedical implants, etc.) Other manufacturing technologies are nanoscale (< 100 nm), microscale (100 nm to 100 µm) and macroscale manufacturing (> 0.5 mm).

Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) is the process techniques of microfabrication used to create tiny integrated devices or systems that can be defined as miniaturised mechanical and electro-mechanical elements, typically on a semiconductor chip, sensors, actuators, and process-control units with dimensions from tens of micrometres to a few hundred micrometres. MEMS devices have advantageous, especially the small size, ease integration, lightweight, low power consumption, and high resonance frequency, etc.

Nascent Technology means the beginning to exist, recently formed, or starting to grow (e.g., in chemistry, an element or simple compound (e.g., Hydrogen) created within the reaction medium in the atomic form and having a high activity). Current Nascent Technologies are Artificial Intelligence (AI); Biotechnology and Human longevity; Cryptocurrency and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC); Virtual Reality (VR)/ Augmented reality (AR); Materials Science; Alternative Transportation; Non-fungible Token (NFT), etc.

NEOM City is a smart city which is currently being built in Tabuk Province in north-western Saudi Arabia, having been announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017. NEOM (New Future) is one of the public investment fund’s projects where entrepreneurship and innovation will chart the course for this New Future - flying taxis, robotic avatars and holograms: sci-fi city vision. The NEON City is planned to cover a total area of 26,500 kM2, extending 170 kM along the coast of the Red Sea, and at an estimated cost of $500 billion.

North American Charging Standard (NACS) is a charging connector interface standard for electric vehicles that Tesla Inc. developed in 2012 as a proprietary charging interface for its own vehicles, and has made available for use by other charging network operators and automakers in 2022. In July 2023, SAE (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) announced plans to “fast track” standardising the NACS Electric Vehicle Coupler as SAE J3400 by publishing the standard ahead of schedule, before 2024. The standards will address how plugs connect with charging stations, charging speeds, reliability, and cybersecurity. (Also, known as the Tesla charging standard) (Refer to the CCS (Combined Charging System))

Smart City is a technologically modern urban area that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance performance, well-being, and reduce costs and resource consumption. Smart Cities leverage data and technology to improve the efficiency of services and meet the needs of residents. The definition of Smart City varies greatly from country to country, in general, it is a platform for improving the quality of life for citizens, enhancing the sustainability of cities, and fostering new industries by utilising the innovative technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

State of the Art is the most recent development of the product or technology using the highest level of technique or scientific achievement in a process, facility or of method of operation. The State of the Art terminology has been used since 1910, and has become both a common term in advertising and marketing. (Refer to the Best Available Technology)

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a safe and efficient aviation transportation system that will operate and transport passengers or cargo at lower altitudes within urban and suburban areas. An UAM will use highly automated aircraft technologies such as electric propulsion and enhanced battery capacity, applied to vertical take-off and landing systems that refers to existing and emerging technologies such as traditional helicopters, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (VTOL), electrically propelled, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (eVTOL), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Urban Air Mobility is expected to become a reality in Europe within 3-5 years.

Wearable Robot is designed with the goal to assist humans with physical impairments that is advanced human symbiotic robotic systems characterised by suitable shape, kinematic, and weight factors to be worn on the human body with the function of either augmenting and assisting (exoskeletons) or restoring human limb function (prosthetic robots). The Wearable Robot can be built using different material technology usually composed of rigid, soft or hybrid materials in which interfaces can be programmed of the pieces of hardware in a variety of ways, and sensors or devices can take in verbal, behavioural or other input in order to facilitate specific types of movement.

Wireless Energy Transfer (WET) or Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) is the process of electrical energy (electricity) transmitting from the power source to electrical loads without interconnecting wires. The WET system consists of a power source, a transmitter device to convert the power to the electromagnetic field, and one or more receiver devices or electrical load. The WET technologies for transmitting energy differ in the distance - electromagnetic fields (wavelength): Inductive Charging (power is transferred through the plastic cases using magnetic induction), Resonance Charging (magnetic resonance chargers charge batteries in low-power devices without connection). Increasing the distance and transfer electricity safely and efficiently with the WET technology (e.g., electric vehicle charge) is still a challenge.

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