3 inventions born out of World War I
World War I was a global conflict that shook the entire globe in the early 20th century. The war originated in Europe and rapidly spread to become a worldwide battle. It involved many nations, including the Allied Powers of Britain, France and Russia and the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. This deadly conflict began in 1914 and lasted for four long years with an estimated death toll of over 20 million people. Despite the devastating loss of life, the war also gave birth to a number of new inventions and technologies that revolutionised the way we live today. From tanks to aeroplanes, these innovations have had a lasting impact on our world. Let’s explore some of the most significant inventions of the First World War and their global impact!
Pilotless drones
Have you heard about the latest trend in transportation? Here, we are talking about autopilot and self-driving technology? It’s been making waves lately, but did you know that the very first pilotless drone was actually developed during World War 1? In 1916 and 1917, two American inventors, Elmer Sperry and Peter Hewitt developed a ground-breaking uncrewed aerial bomb for the US Navy. This early prototype cruise missile, called the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Aircraft, measured just 18.5 feet across and weighed 175 pounds with a 12-horsepower motor. On March 6, 1918, the very first uncrewed flight in history took place on Long Island, USA. Despite the ground-breaking nature of this technology, the drone’s targeting technique, called point and fly, proved to be too imprecise for use against ships during the war. Even so, the development of the drone continued for several years after the war, with attempts to integrate remote radio control. However, the Navy ultimately lost interest in the project in 1925, and the technology lay dormant for decades. It was only later that this technology was revived and used for the autopilot and self-driving technologies we know today.
Air traffic control
Imagine travelling on an aeroplane without any guidance from air traffic controllers. It sounds terrifying, doesn’t it? But during World War I, pilots were left completely isolated once they took off. They could not receive live information about their flight or the conditions around them, except for signals from flags or lamps. Fortunately, the US Army came up with a solution to this problem. In 1915, they began developing two-way radios that could be installed in planes. By 1916, these radios could send telegraph messages over a distance of 140 miles and even allow communication between planes in flight. Finally, a human voice was successfully transmitted by radio from a plane in flight to a ground operator in 1917. Thanks to these early developments in aviation technology, air travel today is much safer and easier. Air traffic control systems are now in place to help guide planes during take-off and landing. It’s amazing to think how far we’ve come since the early days of flight, and it’s all thanks to innovative solutions like the two-way radio.
Sanitary napkins
Did you know that the invention of the modern sanitary napkin can be traced back to the First World War? The Egyptians were already using softened papyrus during ancient times. However, it was during the war that French nurses discovered the benefits of using clean and absorbent cellulose bandages as sanitary napkins. Subsequently, the British and American nurses also started using these bandages as sanitary napkins. But it wasn’t until 1920 that Kimberly and Clark, an American personal care company introduced the first commercial sanitary napkin, Kotex. However, due to the general stigma surrounding menstruation, the product failed to gain any popularity. People were hesitant to advertise it. It was only in 1926, when brands started promoting Kotex in their catalogues, that it became widely popular.