Technology system

Everything we do requires the use of technological systems. This happens when we play, study, work or even at home. Think about things you want to do. Does that not require using systems? For example, systems to transport you from here to there such as a car. Or perhaps systems to entertain you, for example radio or television, or musical instruments. Or perhaps

Key information

Practical Technology.
Technology systems.
Technology systems analysis.
Technology synthesis

Technological systems all employ resources to accomplish their purpose. These resources can be people, information, material or energy. Often systems employ a combination of these. Subsystems also use such resources, often getting them from another subsystem.

The resources used by a system or subsystem are usually called inputs. The resources or products generated by a system or subsystem are usually called outputs. From this, it can be seen that the outputs of some systems or subsystems become the inputs of a subsequent system or subsystem.
All technological systems encounter constraints. Sometimes, for example, there is just not enough of a particular resource to be had, for example water during a drought or skilled people in times of rapid expansion. Energy, material and information could also be lacking.
Sometimes constraints are based on laws, or what might be deemed socially acceptable or unacceptable. For example, today, any form of discrimination favouring one race over another is considered unacceptable. Our societies impose constraints limiting pollution, energy use, work hours and many other things.
Systems may use resources that are material, energy or information in nature. Examples of these include, respectively, steel, electricity and knowledge. The resources used by a technological system may be obvious, such as gasoline fuel, an energy resource used by cars. Of course, systems may also use resources that are not at all obvious: for example, the car uses air as a material resource, but this is not readily apparent. If we were to consider the car and driver system moving down a road, another not immediately obvious resource is the knowledge of the driver as to what the road signs mean, and how to operate the particular vehicle he/she is driving.

Similarly, when thinking about technological systems, one must consider how the resources and systems operations are constrained or restricted. This occurs to all systems.

Some of the constraints are physical (i.e. material or energy) and some are informational, i.e.
social values, laws, attitudes, knowledge, etc. As with resources, some constraints are obvious
and some are hidden or not obvious.
As students work on this module, it will be helpful to have them remember what they did and learned in Module 1 and then convert their understanding of a technological system into a graphic model. If they do not understand some parts of their model, that is normal; they
should just represent these unknowns with a ‘black box’.
To understand technological systems, students must understand the nature of systems, and then technology’s resources, inputs, outputs and constraints.

WIKIPEDIA Definition

It is very difficult to obtain a precise definition of technology. It is generally accepted that "technology" is more than just a collection of physical products of science. "Technology" is the relationship of society and its tools.

“To me, it is important to understand that technology is practice, it is the way we do things around here. This definition takes machines and devices into account, as well as social structures, command, control, and infrastructures. It is helpful for me to remember that technology is practice. Technology, as a practice, means not only that new tools change, but also that we can change the practice. If we have the political will to do so, we can set certain tools aside, just as the world has set slavery and other tools aside. It is also the nature of modern technology that it is a system. One cannot change one thing without changing or affecting many others.” Ursula Franklin, The Real World of Technology. 1989 Massey Lectures[1]

Until recently, it was believed that the development of technology was a concept akin and restricted only to human beings, but recent studies show that other primates (such as chimpanzees), and certain dolphin communities, have developed simple tools and learned to pass this knowledge to other generations, what would constitute a form of non-human technological development. [2] [3

Developing technology

According to the involved science and engineering fields, there are many kinds of technologies. Generally, the following distinction can be made:

• Science is the formal process of investigating natural phenomena. It produces information and knowledge about the world.
• Engineering is the goal-oriented process of designing and building tools and systems to exploit natural phenomena for a practical human means. Engineers work within the constraints of natural laws and societal needs to create technology.
• Technology is the consequence of these two processes and societal requests. Most commonly, the term technology is used as the name of all engineering products.

For scientists and engineers, technologies are: conceptual tools - as methods, methodologies, techniques; instruments - as machines, apparatus, software programs; as well as, different artificial materials which they normally use. Technologies are not direct products of science, because they have to satisfy such requirements as: utility, usability and safety, therefore the application of the scientific knowledge to concrete purpose

wikipédia :Examples of History

The history of Technology is at least as old as humanity. Some primitive forms of tools have been discovered with almost every find of ancient human remains. The history of technology follows a progression from simple tools and simple (mostly human) energy sources to complex high-technology tools and energy sources.

he use, and then mastery, of fire (circa 1,000,000 - 500,000 BC) was a turning point in the technological evolution of humankind, affording a simple energy source with many profound uses.[6] Perhaps the first use of fire beyond providing heat was the preparation of food. This enabled a significant increase in the vegetable and animal sources of food, while greatly reducing perishability. The use of fire extended the capability for the treatment of natural resources and allowed the use of natural resources that require heat to be useful. (The oldest projectile found is a wooden spear with fire hardened point, circa 250,000 BC.) Wood and charcoal were among the first known materials used as a fuel. Wood, clay, and rock (such as limestone), were among the earliest materials shaped or treated by fire, for making artifacts such as weapons, pottery, bricks, and cement. Continuing improvements led to the furnace and bellows and provided the ability to smelt and forge native metals (naturally occurring in relatively pure form).[7] Gold, copper, silver, and lead, were such early metals. The advantages of copper tools over stone, bone, and wooden tools were quickly apparent to early humans, and native copper was probably used from near the beginning of Neolithic times (about 8000 BCE). Native copper does not naturally occur in large amounts, but copper ores are quite common and some of them produce metal easily when burned in wood or charcoal fires. Eventually, the working of metals led to the discovery of alloys such as bronze and brass (about 4000 BCE). The first uses of iron alloys such as steel dates to around 1400 BCE.Tools include both simple machines (such as the lever, the screw, and the pulley), and more complex machines (such as the clock, the engine, the electric generator and the electric motor, the computer, radio, and the Space Station, among many others).

The wheel was invented in circa 4000 BCE.

Summary

All technology involves systems. Systems take a variety of inputs and process them in some way, usually by an interaction of subsystems, and then they generate a set of outputs some of which are desired and some of which are unwanted by-products. All of this occurs within a context or environment. At various points during the process and at the end of the process effective systems use feedback and assessment systems to generate information about how well the purpose for which the system was designed is being achieved

Question

What occurs when humans want to solve a technological problem?
What affects the relationship between system components?
Why do we have technological systems?

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: Generate a list of simple and more complicated
examples of technology

Generate a list of simple and more complicated examples of technology. Try to find at least
one example from each of the following areas of human activity:

Human activity Simple example Complex example

Food ____________ ____________
Energy ____________ ____________
Environment _____________ ____________


Pick any two of these systems and identify the goal for which that system was developed.



Activity 2: Develop a systems analysis of a technological system

Working in groups of from two to four students, generate a systems analysis of any of the
systems you identified in Activity 1, or any of the examples given below:

A manufacturing system such as a bread from Cassava.
A food processing system such as a stove based Caju Product
A Energy transportation system using ethanol and Biogas

This systems analysis is to include:

The name of the system

_____________________________________________________________


The purpose of the system

_____________________________________________________________


The inputs to the system

_____________________________________________________________

The system’s outputs

_____________________________________________________________

LESSON LEARNED

Summary and review
Technology extends human capability. Technology is used to serve human needs or wants.
All technologies involve systems. Systems are developed to address a goal and consist of
subsystems that work together. Feedback is used to control a system. Systems operate in
environments.

Glossary

Component : A part of a larger system, often considered to be a part of a subsystem.
Environment : The context that houses a system. Also called the supra-system.
Feedback : Some information, signal or measure that tells a person, system or subsystem how well the goal is being achieved, or how well the process is working.
Goal : The reason for which the system or process was developed. The desired result.
Hierarchy : A relationship based on something. For example, size: a supra-system consists of one or more systems. Each of these systems consists of one or more subsystems. Each of these subsystems contain one or more components, etc.
Inputs Resources available to the system or subsystem.
Outputs Products or forces that are generated by systems or subsystems.
Resources : Any energy, material, information or person available to a system or subsystem.
Subsystem : A smaller system that acts as a component of a larger system.
Supra-system The larger system or environment that houses a specific system.
System : Human developed organizations of subsystems and/or components that interact to
achieve a goal.
Technology : Technology is the extension of our human capability in order to satisfy our needs or
wants.

Unit 1: What is technology
Date: Class: Name:

Technology Activity Module 1
Technological systems

Post-test

Unit 1: Technology Syatem


Date: Class: Name:


Technology Activity Module 1
Technological systems


Instructions: Work by yourself, and without using any notes, books or help, answer each
question carefully.

Sketch a diagram that shows at least five of the major systems of an automobile engine.

Using your own words, define the following terms as in your instructor’s lesson:

Technology _____________________________________________________________

System
______________________________________________________________

Environment _______________________________________________________


Subsystem ______________________________________________________________

Goal
______________________________________________________________

Feedback
______________________________________________________________