20th-century inventions
785 inventos y descubrimientos: año, qué es, de qué evolucionó y a qué llevó.
Cómo se conectan los inventos
- Tractor oruga Holt → Tanque → Transporte blindado de personal → Vehículo de combate de infantería
- Tiempo compartido → Unix → Linux
- Tubo de vacío → Diodo → Tiristor
- Calculadora electrónica → Microprocesador → Microcontrolador
- Cohete V-2 → Cohete R-7 → Soyuz
- C → C++ → Java
| Año | Invento | Qué es | Evolucionó de | Llevó a |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Amortiguador | Damps the oscillations of the suspension. | ||
| 1901 | Aspiradora Hubert Cecil Booth | Cleaning by sucking up dust (Booth; the electric one — Spangler). | Barredora de alfombras | Robot aspirador |
| 1902 | Aire acondicionado | Carrier’s unit for cooling and drying air. | ||
| 1902 | Freno de automóvil | A disc or drum brake that sheds speed through friction. | ||
| 1902 | Separación de aire | Producing oxygen and nitrogen by liquefaction (Linde). | ||
| 1903 | Avión | A powered heavier-than-air aircraft; the Wright brothers’ Flyer. | Planeador | Avión a reacción |
| 1903 | Wright Flyer | The first controlled powered aeroplane flight. | Bicicleta | |
| 1903 | Tren de aterrizaje | An aircraft’s supports for takeoff and landing. | ||
| 1903 | Electrocardiógrafo | Recording the electrical activity of the heart (Einthoven). | Galvanómetro | Holter monitor |
| 1903 | Biplano | An aircraft with two wings, one above the other. | ||
| 1904 | Tubo de vacío | A device that controls a flow of electrons in a vacuum; the basis of the first computers. | Transistor, Diodo | |
| 1904 | Diodo Jagadish Chandra Bose | Lets current pass in one direction. | Tubo de vacío | Triodo, Tiristor |
| 1904 | Oruga | A closed loop of track links driven by a sprocket; spreads the vehicle’s weight. | ||
| 1904 | Mortero (arma) | A gun for high-angle fire (Gobyato). | Obús | |
| 1905 | Turbocompresor | A turbine driven by exhaust gases turns a compressor (Büchi). | ||
| 1905 | Teoría de la relatividad Albert Einstein | Einstein’s special (1905) and general (1915) theories. | Interferómetro | |
| 1905 | Nicromo | A nickel–chromium alloy with high resistance and resistance to oxidation. | ||
| 1906 | Amplificador | Increases the power of a signal. | ||
| 1906 | Triodo Lee de Forest, Robert von Lieben | A tube with an amplifying grid (Lee de Forest). | Diodo | |
| 1906 | Hidroala | Foils lift the hull out of the water (Alekseyev’s Raketa). | ||
| 1906 | Muelle helicoidal | A helical spring in a car’s suspension. | ||
| 1907 | Plástico | A synthetic mouldable material. | ||
| 1907 | Baquelita Leo Baekeland | The first fully synthetic plastic (Baekeland). | ||
| 1908 | Lavadora | An electric machine for washing clothes. | Escurridor | |
| 1908 | Dibujo del neumático | The pattern on a tyre for grip. | ||
| 1909 | Amortiguador de masa sintonizado | A pendulum counterweight in a skyscraper (Taipei 101). | ||
| 1910 | Auriculares Ernest Mercadier | Miniature loudspeakers at the ears. | Auriculares inalámbricos | |
| 1910 | Titanio William Gregor, Martin Heinrich Klaproth | A strong, light metal for aviation and medicine. | ||
| 1910 | Respirador | A filtering mask (the anti-plague mask — Wu Lien-teh). | Mascarilla quirúrgica | Máscara de gas |
| 1910 | Hidroavión | An aircraft that takes off from water. | ||
| 1910 | Coche deportivo | A light, fast car. | Coche de carreras | |
| 1911 | Motor de arranque | An electric motor for starting a combustion engine (Kettering). | Manivela | |
| 1911 | Cámara de niebla Charles Thomson Rees Wilson | Particle tracks in supersaturated vapour. | Cámara de burbujas | |
| 1912 | Oscilador | A circuit that produces a periodic signal. | ||
| 1912 | Batería de automóvil | A lead–acid starter battery. | ||
| 1913 | Acero inoxidable Harry Brearley | Steel with chromium that does not rust (Brearley). | ||
| 1913 | Refrigerador | A household refrigerator with a compressor. | Casa de hielo, Máquina de hielo | |
| 1913 | Zip Whitcomb L. Judson | A fastener of teeth joined by a slider (Sundback). | Corchete | |
| 1913 | Isótopos | Atoms of one element with different masses (Soddy). | ||
| 1914 | Planta depuradora | Biological treatment of waste water (activated sludge). | ||
| 1914 | Hidrófono | A microphone for water. | ||
| 1914 | Cañón antiaéreo | A gun for firing at aircraft. | ||
| 1915 | Sonar Walter Guyton Cady, Paul Langevin | Detecting objects by reflected sound (Langevin). | Ecosonda | |
| 1916 | Tanque | An armoured tracked combat vehicle; the first in battle was the British Mark I. | Tractor oruga Holt, Carro blindado | Transporte blindado de personal |
| 1916 | Blindaje | Steel or composite plates that protect the crew. | Armadura de placas | |
| 1917 | Máquina de cifrado | Rotor machines (Hebern, Fialka). | ||
| 1919 | Espectrómetro de masas | Separating ions by mass (Aston). | ||
| 1920 | Acelerómetro | An acceleration sensor; MEMS versions are found in phones and airbags. | ||
| 1921 | Microscopio quirúrgico | A microscope for microsurgery. | ||
| 1922 | Monocasco | A body that is also the frame (Lancia Lambda). | Chasis | |
| 1925 | Altavoz Edward Washburn Kellogg, Chester Williams Rice | Turns an electrical signal into sound: a coil in a magnetic field moves a diaphragm. | ||
| 1925 | Inversor | Converts direct current into alternating current. | ||
| 1925 | Mecánica cuántica | The theory of how particles behave at small scales. | Efecto fotoeléctrico | |
| 1925 | Palé | A platform for stacking goods. | ||
| 1925 | Inyección de combustible | Delivering fuel through injectors under pressure. | Carburador | |
| 1926 | Motor cohete de propelente líquido | An engine on liquid fuel and oxidizer (Goddard; Tsiolkovsky’s idea). | Cohete | |
| 1926 | Joystick | A control lever. | Gamepad | |
| 1926 | PVC | A plastic for pipes, cables and records. | ||
| 1927 | Aerosol | A pressurized can with a sprayer (Rotheim). | ||
| 1927 | Reloj de cuarzo | A clock paced by the vibrations of a quartz crystal. | Reloj de péndulo, Reloj mecánico | Reloj atómico |
| 1928 | Cinta magnética | A tape with a magnetic layer for recording sound and data (Pfleumer). | ||
| 1928 | Plasma | An ionized gas. | ||
| 1928 | Televisor | A receiver of the television signal. | Televisor de pantalla plana | |
| 1928 | Respirador mecánico | Mechanical ventilation of the lungs (the “iron lung”). | ||
| 1928 | Contador Geiger Walther Müller, Hans Geiger | Detects ionizing radiation. | ||
| 1929 | Generador de Van de Graaff Robert J. Van de Graaff | A high-voltage generator with a belt. | Máquina electrostática | Acelerador de partículas |
| 1929 | Filtro polarizador | Polaroid (Land). | ||
| 1929 | Cámara térmica | An image in infrared light. | ||
| 1930 | Termistor Michael Faraday | A resistor whose resistance depends on temperature. | ||
| 1931 | Flash fotográfico | A pulsed gas-discharge lamp (Edgerton). | ||
| 1931 | Iconoscopio Vladimir K. Zworykin | A television camera tube (Zworykin). | ||
| 1931 | Pinball | A machine with a ball and flippers. | Máquina recreativa | |
| 1932 | Acelerador de partículas | Accelerates particles with electromagnetic fields (Lawrence’s cyclotron). | Generador de Van de Graaff | World Wide Web |
| 1932 | Ciclotrón | An accelerator on a spiral in a magnetic field (Lawrence). | Gran Colisionador de Hadrones | |
| 1933 | Polietileno | The most widely used plastic (ICI). | ||
| 1934 | Medidor de pH | An electronic acidity meter (Beckman). | Papel de tornasol | |
| 1935 | Nailon | The first fully synthetic fibre (Carothers). | Poliéster, Kevlar | |
| 1935 | Radar Christian Hülsmeyer | Detecting objects by reflected radio waves. | Horno de microondas | |
| 1935 | Grabadora | Recording sound on magnetic tape (AEG Magnetophon). | Sampler | |
| 1936 | Fibra de vidrio | A composite of glass fibre and resin. | ||
| 1936 | Placa de circuito impreso | A board with conductors laid on an insulator (Eisler). | ||
| 1937 | Puerta lógica | A circuit that performs a logical operation (Shannon). | ||
| 1937 | Radiotelescopio | An antenna for receiving cosmic radio emission (Reber). | ||
| 1938 | Galga extensométrica | A sensor of deformation by a change in resistance. | ||
| 1938 | Fisión nuclear | A uranium nucleus splits, releasing energy and neutrons (Hahn, Meitner). | Radiactividad | |
| 1938 | Teflon | Low-friction polytetrafluoroethylene (Plunkett). | ||
| 1939 | Motor turborreactor | An engine that produces thrust with a jet (Whittle, von Ohain). | ||
| 1939 | Turbina de gas | A turbine driven by combustion products. | ||
| 1939 | Helicóptero | An aircraft with a main rotor (Sikorsky). | Autogiro | Tiltrotor |
| 1939 | Rotor principal | A helicopter’s rotating wing. | ||
| 1940 | Servomotor | A motor with position feedback. | ||
| 1940 | Congelador | A deep-freeze compartment. | ||
| 1940 | Magnetrón University of Birmingham | A microwave generator; the key part of radars and microwave ovens. | ||
| 1940 | Unión p-n | The boundary between semiconductors of different conductivity types. | ||
| 1941 | Poliéster | A synthetic fibre. | Nailon | |
| 1941 | PET | Polyethylene terephthalate — bottles and fibre. | ||
| 1941 | Amplificador operacional | A general-purpose differential amplifier. | ||
| 1942 | Reactor nuclear | A facility for a controlled chain reaction (Chicago Pile-1). | ||
| 1942 | Cohete V-2 | The first long-range ballistic missile. | Cohete R-7, Saturn V | |
| 1942 | Motor cohete sólido | An engine running on solid propellant. | Cohete | |
| 1942 | Barra de control | Absorbs neutrons and controls a reactor’s power. | ||
| 1943 | Postquemador | Burning extra fuel behind the turbine. | ||
| 1945 | Computadora Charles Babbage | A programmable machine for processing information. | Smartphone | |
| 1945 | Turbohélice | A gas turbine that turns a propeller. | ||
| 1945 | Horno de convección | An oven with a fan. | Freidora de aire | |
| 1947 | Transistor | A semiconductor device for amplifying and switching signals. | Tubo de vacío | |
| 1947 | Desfibrilador | An electric shock to restore the heart’s rhythm. | Desfibrilador implantable | |
| 1948 | Bit y teoría de la información | A quantitative measure of information (Shannon). | ||
| 1950 | Fotodiodo | A diode that turns light into current. | ||
| 1950 | Tarjeta de pago | A card for payments; with a magnetic stripe since the 1960s. | Papel moneda | Pagos móviles |
| 1950 | Convertidor analógico-digital | Turns an analogue signal into numbers. | ||
| 1950 | Radar Doppler | A radar that measures speed from the Doppler shift. | ||
| 1950 | Disipador de calor | A metal heat spreader with fins. | ||
| 1950 | Control remoto Nikola Tesla, Robert Adler | Operating a device from a distance; infrared remotes date from the 1980s. | ||
| 1951 | Memoria de núcleos magnéticos | Bits are stored in the magnetization of rings. | RAM | |
| 1952 | Máquina CNC | A machine tool controlled by a program. | Fresadora | |
| 1952 | Código de barras | A machine-readable code of bars. | Código QR | |
| 1952 | Cámara de burbujas Donald Arthur Glaser | Particle tracks in a superheated liquid (Glaser). | Cámara de niebla | |
| 1953 | Impresora | A device for printing on paper. | ||
| 1953 | Acelerador lineal médico | A linear accelerator for radiation therapy. | ||
| 1954 | Panel solar | A panel of photocells that turns light into current. | ||
| 1954 | Maser Charles Hard Townes, James Power Gordon | The microwave forerunner of the laser. | Laser | |
| 1955 | Reloj atómico | A clock paced by transitions in caesium atoms. | Reloj de cuarzo | |
| 1956 | Contenedor de transporte | A standard steel box (McLean). | ||
| 1956 | Disco duro | Magnetic platters with heads (IBM 350). | Solid-state drive | |
| 1956 | Grabadora de vídeo | Recording video on tape (Ampex; VHS in 1976). | DVD | |
| 1957 | Cohete multietapa | A rocket that drops its spent stages (R-7). | Cohete reutilizable | |
| 1957 | Cohete R-7 | Korolev’s Soviet rocket that launched the first satellite and Gagarin. | Cohete V-2 | Soyuz |
| 1957 | Satélite artificial | A spacecraft in orbit around the Earth. | ||
| 1957 | Plataforma de lanzamiento | A structure for launching rockets. | ||
| 1958 | Circuito integrado | Many transistors and connections on a single chip. | ||
| 1958 | Fibra de carbono | A super-strong, light fibre made of carbon. | ||
| 1958 | Modem | Transmits data over a telephone line by modulating a signal. | ||
| 1958 | Red neuronal artificial | A model of connected “neurons”; Rosenblatt’s perceptron. | ||
| 1959 | Algoritmo de Dijkstra Edsger W. Dijkstra | Finding the shortest path in a weighted graph. | Algoritmo A* | |
| 1959 | MOSFET Martin “John” M. Atalla, Dawon Kahng | A field-effect transistor with an insulated gate (Atalla, Kahng). | ||
| 1960 | Laser | A source of coherent light (Maiman; Basov, Prokhorov, Townes). | Maser | |
| 1960 | Servidor | A computer that serves requests from other computers. | ||
| 1960 | Fuente de alimentación | Converts mains voltage for electronics. | ||
| 1961 | Robot industrial | A programmable manipulator; the first was Unimate at a GM plant. | Robot quirúrgico | |
| 1961 | Calculadora electrónica | A calculator built on electronics (ANITA; pocket ones in the 1970s). | Aritmómetro | Microprocesador |
| 1961 | Imán superconductor | An electromagnet with a superconducting winding. | ||
| 1961 | Traje espacial | A suit for space (SK-1). | Traje de buceo | |
| 1961 | Lidar Hughes Aircraft Company | A rangefinder that measures distances with laser pulses. | ||
| 1962 | LED H. J. Round, Oleg Losev | A semiconductor diode that emits light (Holonyak; Losev observed it in the 1920s). | ||
| 1962 | Diodo láser | A semiconductor laser. | ||
| 1962 | Satélite de comunicaciones | A relay in orbit; Clarke proposed the geostationary orbit. | ||
| 1962 | Vidrio reforzado | Glass strengthened by ion exchange (Corning). | ||
| 1964 | Mainframe | A large computer for organizations (IBM System/360). | Tabuladora de Hollerith | |
| 1964 | Supercomputadora | A computing system of the highest performance (CDC 6600). | ||
| 1964 | Reconocimiento facial | Identifying a person from an image of their face. | ||
| 1964 | Ratón Douglas Engelbart | Engelbart’s pointing device. | Trackball | |
| 1964 | Conmutación de paquetes | Data is split into packets that travel across the network independently. | ||
| 1965 | Pantalla táctil | A grid of transparent electrodes that registers a finger’s touch by a change in capacitance. | ||
| 1965 | Snowboard | A board for riding down snow. | Surfboard, Esquís | |
| 1965 | Kevlar | A super-strong aramid fibre (Kwolek). | Nailon | |
| 1966 | Rueda de reacción | A flywheel for turning a satellite. | ||
| 1966 | Alerón trasero | An inverted wing that presses the car onto the road. | ||
| 1968 | Pantalla de cristal líquido | A screen built on liquid crystals. | Pantalla | |
| 1968 | Controlador lógico programable | An industrial controller (Modicon). | Relé | |
| 1968 | RAM | Fast memory for current data (Dennard’s DRAM). | Memoria de núcleos magnéticos | |
| 1968 | Unidad de control del motor | A microcomputer that controls the engine. | ||
| 1968 | Pantalla | A smartphone screen: a pixel matrix under protective glass with a touch layer. | Pantalla de cristal líquido | |
| 1969 | Sensor de imagen | An array of photocells that turn light into an electrical signal (CCD, CMOS). | ||
| 1969 | Router | Forwards packets between networks; the IMP in ARPANET. | ||
| 1969 | ARPANET | The first large packet-switched network, linking university computers in the US. | Internet | |
| 1969 | Nitruro de galio | The semiconductor of blue LEDs and power electronics. | ||
| 1970 | Monitor | A computer’s image output device. | ||
| 1970 | Fibra óptica | A glass fibre that carries light (Kao). | ||
| 1970 | Base de datos | An organized store of data; Codd’s relational model. | Tabuladora de Hollerith, Catálogo de biblioteca | |
| 1970 | Lunojod | A self-propelled vehicle on the Moon (Lunokhod 1). | Rover marciano | |
| 1970 | MEMS | Microelectromechanical systems — mechanics on a silicon chip. | ||
| 1970 | Seguidor estelar | A camera that finds orientation from the stars. | ||
| 1971 | Microprocesador | A computer’s central processor on a single chip; the first commercial one was the Intel 4004. | Calculadora electrónica | Microcontrolador |
| 1971 | Microcontrolador | A processor, memory and peripherals on one chip (TMS1000). | Microprocesador | |
| 1971 | Impresora láser | A printer based on xerography (Xerox). | ||
| 1973 | Módulo de radio | The unit that sends and receives cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth data. | ||
| 1973 | Airbag | An inflatable cushion that deploys in a crash. | ||
| 1973 | Teléfono móvil Martin Cooper | A telephone that connects to the network by radio. | Teléfono, Radio, Walkie-talkie | |
| 1973 | ADN recombinante | Genetic engineering (Cohen, Boyer). | CRISPR | |
| 1974 | Sistema en chip | A single chip that combines the processor, graphics, modem and controllers. | ||
| 1974 | Pulsioxímetro | Measures blood oxygen saturation with light (Aoyagi). | ||
| 1974 | TCP/IP | A suite of protocols for joining different networks into one. | ||
| 1975 | Computadora personal | A computer for one person (Altair, Apple II, IBM PC). | Minicomputer | Portátil |
| 1975 | Cámara digital | A camera with an electronic sensor (Sasson, Kodak). | Cámara fotográfica | Cámara del smartphone |
| 1977 | Secuenciación de ADN | Reading the sequence of DNA (Sanger). | ||
| 1977 | Prueba de embarazo | An immunochromatographic strip. | Prueba rápida | |
| 1978 | GPS | Finding a position from satellite signals. | Mapa, Radionavegación | |
| 1978 | Procesador de señales digitales | A processor for handling signals. | ||
| 1978 | Sistema antibloqueo de frenos | Keeps the wheels from locking up during braking. | Freno neumático | |
| 1979 | Estación base | A cellular tower. | ||
| 1979 | Red celular | Covering an area with cells served by base stations. | ||
| 1979 | Walkman | Sony’s portable cassette player. | Reproductor MP3 | |
| 1980 | Holograma de seguridad | A hologram on cards and banknotes. | ||
| 1981 | Portátil | A portable computer. | Computadora personal | |
| 1982 | Imán de neodimio | The strongest permanent magnet (Sagawa). | ||
| 1982 | Central solar | A field of solar panels or mirrors. | ||
| 1982 | IGBT | A power transistor for inverters and electric drives. | ||
| 1982 | Disco compacto Sony Group, Koninklijke Philips NV | Digital sound recording on an optical disc. | Disco de vinilo | |
| 1982 | Disco óptico | Data is read by a laser. | ||
| 1983 | Internet Vint Cerf, Bob Kahn | A global network of networks joined by the TCP/IP protocols. | ARPANET | |
| 1984 | Memoria flash | Non-volatile memory built on floating-gate transistors (Fujio Masuoka). | EPROM | |
| 1984 | Maglev | A train on magnetic levitation. | Hyperloop | |
| 1986 | Panificadora | Automatic bread baking. | ||
| 1987 | Matriz de píxeles OLED | An array of light-emitting organic diodes, each driven by its own transistor. | MicroLED | |
| 1989 | World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau | A system of linked hypertext documents on top of the Internet. | Acelerador de partículas | |
| 1990 | Centro de datos | A building with thousands of servers. | ||
| 1990 | Motor de vibración | A tiny electric motor with an eccentric weight that vibrates as it spins. | ||
| 1991 | Batería de iones de litio | A rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move between the electrodes. | Batería de plomo-ácido | Batería de estado sólido |
| 1993 | MP3 | Lossy audio compression based on psychoacoustics. | ||
| 1994 | Smartphone | A mobile phone with the functions of a computer. This is a typical modern smartphone as a class, not a specific model. | Computadora, Navegador GPS, Despertador | Tableta |
| 1997 | Wi-Fi | The IEEE 802.11 wireless local network. | ||
| 1997 | Computadora de ajedrez | Deep Blue beat Kasparov. | Sistema experto | |
| 1998 | Bluetooth Jaap Haartsen | Short-range wireless communication. | ||
| 1998 | Interfaz cerebro-computadora | Controlling devices with brain signals. | ||
| 1999 | Unidad de procesamiento gráfico | A processor for parallel computing of graphics and neural networks. | ||
| 1999 | Monitoreo continuo de glucosa | A wearable sugar sensor. | Glucómetro | |
| 1999 | Internet de las cosas | Connecting household and industrial devices to the network. | ||
| 2000 | Cámara del smartphone | A lens and a light-sensitive CMOS sensor. | Cámara fotográfica, Cámara digital | |
| 2000 | Contador inteligente | A meter that transmits data. | Contador eléctrico |