Portuguese inventions
Encyclopedia
Relying on trade secret explains, in part, the difficulty often experienced by researchers in documenting Portuguese inventions: these are not described in patent
documents, or other documents. On the other hand, there are cases, like some types of swords, where the inventions themselves or the underlying documents were lost, having been destroyed, for example, during the French invasions
. Note also that by virtue of such invasions and other reasons, there are a lot of documentation and objects of Portuguese origin in private collections or museums outside of Portugal
. Some economic crises experienced by the Portuguese in their history also contributed to a lack of care in preserving its technological heritage.
. The contribution made by the Portuguese consisted mainly in the improvement of devices and techniques of navigation and cartography, such as the marine astrolabe
and the chart of latitudes. On the field of military applications, the construction of cannons and before that, new types of swords.
, an automatic system for collecting tolls for vehicles, the Multibanco
, a very specific automatic teller machine network with a multitude of functions ranging from bank transfers to the payment of tickets for shows, or in the field of medicine, a cutting-edge treatment of epilepsy
, the drug Zebinix by Bial Laboratories.
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
documents, or other documents. On the other hand, there are cases, like some types of swords, where the inventions themselves or the underlying documents were lost, having been destroyed, for example, during the French invasions
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. Note also that by virtue of such invasions and other reasons, there are a lot of documentation and objects of Portuguese origin in private collections or museums outside of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Some economic crises experienced by the Portuguese in their history also contributed to a lack of care in preserving its technological heritage.
Discoveries
The golden age of invention in Portugal, where they assumed a great importance was the Age of DiscoveryAge of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
. The contribution made by the Portuguese consisted mainly in the improvement of devices and techniques of navigation and cartography, such as the marine astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
and the chart of latitudes. On the field of military applications, the construction of cannons and before that, new types of swords.
Modernity
More recently, the Portuguese have been interested in all areas of technology, from computers to medicine. Examples of this activity are present in everyday life of the Portuguese and it can be cited as an example the Via VerdeVia Verde
thumb|right|Freeway lane sign in the Portuguese A6 freeway/motorway . The leftmost lane is for exclusive use by vehicles equipped with Via Verde tags.thumb|right|Via Verde lanes in the 25 April Bridge toll plaza, Almada....
, an automatic system for collecting tolls for vehicles, the Multibanco
Multibanco
Multibanco is an interbank network in Portugal owned and operated by Sociedade Interbancaria de Serviços S.A., or SIBS, that links the ATMs of 27 banks in Portugal, totaling 11,208 machines as of October 2006. The bank members of Multibanco control the SIBS...
, a very specific automatic teller machine network with a multitude of functions ranging from bank transfers to the payment of tickets for shows, or in the field of medicine, a cutting-edge treatment of epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
, the drug Zebinix by Bial Laboratories.