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Embedded systems, as we always say at Tribalyte Technologies, even if we don't realize it, are part of our lives. In fact, without them today we shouldn't have many of the conveniences that technology has brought to us over the past sixty years.
What is an embedded system?
For those who do not yet knows the world of "embedded", in a very summary way, one could say that an embedded system, also called "embedded" or "embedded", is a type of electronic system which, with a microcontroller or microprocessor - your "brain" - is usually found inside devices and products which, thanks to software (possibly developed in C / C ++ and Linux) can perform specific functions. A classic example of an on-board system is the device of a modern washing machine. To do our laundry it is necessary to select our washing program, that is to say press a few buttons which, in turn, with software, will allow the "system" to start and the chosen functions to be performed perfectly. This is, very briefly and roughly, what normally occurs in all types of devices that contain an on-board system.
Security smartphone
What impact have embedded systems had on humanity?
As we said earlier, humans and embedded systems have been in a "relationship" for over 60 years and the latest advances in R&D have made it clear to us that this symbiotic machine / human alliance will grow even stronger. And not only on our planet, but also in all space.
Yes, exactly, in space. In fact, it is no coincidence that the first on-board system in history was a guidance system developed by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for NASA and that it played a fundamental role in the Apollo missions. towards the Moon. Today, astronautics continues to be one of the sectors that invests the most in the research and development of on-board systems. A well-known case would be, for example, that of SpaceX, the American company founded by Elon Musk and that, with an incredible investment in the development of on-board software, everything indicates that it will launch the first interplanetary transport system (STI). to transport humans to Mars.
But, apart from these extreme cases, what should be noted is that from the 1970s, the use of on-board systems began to gain ground in all types of industry and sector ( unfortunately, also for the realization of military weapons and technological weapons), until they creep into our daily lives: means of transport, household appliances, security, industrial cars, the automotive sector , railways ... to the interior of the human body.
Embedded systems and uses in the human body
Science fiction has accustomed us to thinking that "the bionic man" is menacing, sinister, and evil. In fact, listening to "the bionic man" or "the machine man", who didn't immediately imagine a scene from "Terminator" shooting all living things? It is also true that, in the collective imagination, there are "more positive" and peaceful examples such as "RoboCop" or "The Bicentennial Man". But, apart from science fiction and all the cultural references or commonplaces that we may have in our society, and, above all, without focusing only on the robotics sector itself, the advances that technology has made in the application of on-board systems to improve and improve the human condition is obvious and, rather, tangible. Read More beinghealthylife
In this respect, there is a very interesting series on Netflix that talks about the mechanisms that move "our machine", our organism and that I recommend to anyone who wants to dive into it: Inside the human body.
Embedded systems in biomedical engineering
In the first chapter of this same series (I hope not to triumph too much), is told the story of Jason Little, an American who lost his left arm following a serious accident and who, thanks to an incredible study carried out by Professor Ranu Jung (from the Department of Biomedical Engineerings at Florida International University), using a technological prosthesis, he was able to recover not only the mechanical functions of his phantom limb, but even tactile and neural sensations. In other words, in this specific case, it is not just an aesthetically flawless prosthesis that respects extremely basic operations, but an advanced technological system that overcomes the "barriers" of the human body.
