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20 Types of Technology: Definitions

and Examples
By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated May 24, 2022
Published May 26, 2021

Most people use some form of technology every day of their lives. There are many
different types of technology, and each one has unique functions that aim to make
certain processes more efficient. With a better understanding of different types of
technology, you can learn how each type of technology can help improve your daily life,
and perhaps, this knowledge can even help you develop a desire for a career in
technology.

In this article, we discuss what technology is and list 20 common technology types.

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What is technology?
Technology is the product of transferring scientific knowledge to practical use. Different
forms of technology are the result of people trying to find more efficient ways to do
things and testing new ideas. Technology is constantly improving and generally aims to
make processes easier for people. For example, the internet makes communication

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8/13/22, 9:39 AM 20 Types of Technology: Definitions and Examples | Indeed.com

easier and more efficient. While a single piece of technology often overlaps into different
areas, there are generally six different categories of technology: communication,
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electrical, energy, manufacturing, medical and transportation.

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6 common types of technology

Here are six different categories of technology with examples for each:

1. Communication
Communication technology consists of any pieces of technology people use to
communicate with one another. Some early examples of communication technology
include Morse code and the telegraph. Below are some examples of more modern
communication technologies:

Television
Television sets transmit signals over which we can listen to and view audio and visual
content. People use television to communicate important messages, advertisements,
entertainment and more. Most televisions receive signals from a cable wire or over the
internet, which relays signals that direct a television set on what content to display.

Internet
Many people consider the internet to be the most popular and powerful communication
technology. It allows people from around the world to interact through written
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8/13/22, 9:39 AM 20 Types of Technology: Definitions and Examples | Indeed.com

messages, as well as audio and video messages. With the internet, users can
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communicate almost instantaneously with anyone else and share information. This
makes it a powerful tool for businesses, charities, governments and individuals among
many others. Kim Loong Choy
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Cell phones Continue as Kim Loong

Cell phones are a modern improvement over the telephone.

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communicate in other ways, such as text messages or video chats.

2. Electrical
Many pieces of modern technology use electricity in some form. A few examples of
electrical technology include:

Computers
Computers operate through a rapid pulsing of electrical currents. Their core foundation
of computers is binary code, which determines whether there is an electrical current.
Depending on the order in which the device receives these currents, a computer
performs different functions. People use computers to access the internet and print
physical copies of digital content among other functions.

Circuitry
A collection of electrical components that perform a particular function is a circuit. An
example of an electrical circuit is a computer processor, which is a small component that
translates electrical signals into computer code. Electrical circuits exist in many modern-
day items, such as computers, remote controls, cell phones, appliances and more.

Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is a computer system designed to make decisions and perform
actions autonomously. There are varying degrees of artificial intelligence sophistication
in many of our daily tasks. For example, online navigation apps use artificial intelligence
to analyze the best route for a traveler based on traffic, road closures and more. Another
example is search engines, which use artificial intelligence to determine the best results
to display for each unique user.

Related: What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Software
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Software includes the programs a computer uses totofunction
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properly.
aims to provide entertainment to users or make tasks more efficient. For example, word
processing software makes it easier to create and
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Loongdocuments
Choy when compared to
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older forms of technology such as a typewriter.

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Audio and visual technology
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Audio and visual technology consists of items
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address, and microphones and
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projectors. Their purpose is to capture and Indeed's
display privacy
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visual terms of service.
to users.
Audio and visual technology often combines with other forms of technology, such as
cellphones, to provide camera functionality, for example.

3. Energy
Energy technology aims to help generate, store and transmit energy for a variety of
purposes. Common examples of energy technology include:

Solar panels
Solar panels use energy from the sun's rays to generate power. People use these panels
to power things such as buildings, homes, outdoor lighting systems, water heating
systems and more. Solar panels are a form of renewable energy, which is becoming a
more popular form of energy generation due to its lack of carbon emissions.

Related: Guide To Becoming a Solar Installer

Wind turbines
Wind turbines use propellers to generate wind energy. They are typically tall pillars
located in open plains or within the ocean where winds are strongest and generate the
most energy. As propellers spin, they generate energy, which the turbine then stores in a
battery or transmits directly to a desired source.

Batteries
Batteries store energy for later consumption, and people use these to power other forms
of technology such as a television remote. They range in size—from small batteries in
items such as watches to larger batteries for use inside cars or large solar panel
installations. There have been great improvements in battery technology recently, with
batteries now having the ability to store more energy for longer periods of time.

4. Mechanical
M h i l h l i h li i
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8/13/22, 9:39 AM 20 Types of Technology: Definitions and Examples | Indeed.com
Mechanical technology is the application of engineering principles to achieve tasks more
efficiently. People use this technology in a wide variety of machinery, with some common
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examples of mechanical technology including:

Manufacturing Kim Loong Choy

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Manufacturing technology aims to produce goods faster and in a more cost-effective

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manner. A popular example of manufacturing technology is an assembly line, which
greatly improved the speed of productionToprocesses.
create your Manufacturing technology's
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benefits also include product quality improvements, better tracking
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and profile systems
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analysis, faster shipping speeds and enhanced employee
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Heavy engineering
Heavy engineering technology helps professionals perform tasks such as building
bridges or digging tunnels. It helps transport heavy materials, dig holes into the ground
and make construction processes more efficient. Other areas of heavy engineering
include shipbuilding, mining, steel production and aerospace engineering.

Related: How To Become a Heavy Equipment Operator

5. Medical
Medical technology helps improve people's quality of life in a number of ways. Some
examples include:

Diagnostics
Diagnostic technology helps medical professionals attain more information about a
patient. Examples of diagnostic technology include thermometers, MRIs, X-ray machines,
electrocardiographs and stethoscopes. With these tools, medical professionals can make
better treatment decisions and explore parts of the human body that would be
impossible to analyze otherwise.

Pharmaceutical
The development and improvement of medicine results in better pharmaceutical
technology. Using different technologies, such as nanotechnology, microenvironments
and artificial organs, researchers learn more about how different substances impact
humans. They can then develop different prescription drugs, with the aim of curing or
significantly decreasing instances of harmful disease.

Surgical
Surgical technology allows surgeons to perform complex operations. Some recent
l i l d t i l l th t di l
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examples include smart surgical glasses that display essential information directly within
a surgeon's glasses and remote robotics, which allow surgeons to operate remotely with
increased precision. Surgical technology assists ininevery
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to Indeed of surgery—from
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procedures such as appendectomies to more complex types such as spinal or brain
surgery. Kim Loong Choy
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Related: Learn About Being a Surgeon

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To monitor the health and status of a patient, privacy
healthcare policy and terms
professionals of service. rely
increasingly
on technology. A common example is smartwatches, which can monitor biometric data
such as heart rates and quality of sleep. Other monitoring technology includes devices
implanted directly into a patient that provide even more advanced monitoring
capabilities to healthcare professionals.

6. Transportation
It's much easier to travel than it once was thanks to improvements in technology.
Examples of transportation technology include:

GPS
GPS, or a Global Positioning System, is a piece of technology that can pinpoint locations
on earth from satellites in earth's orbit. Using this technology, we can now receive real-
time directions, monitor the transit of different objects or record precise time
measurements. GPS is a feature in many devices such as smartwatches and larger
tracking systems used by corporations and governments.

Flight
Flight technology has become safer and more efficient over time. We use flight
technology in a number of ways—from the construction of planes to navigation
equipment on an aircraft. Improvements in flight technology are even more apparent in
space flight, which occurs fairly regularly.

Vehicles
Similar to flight technology, vehicles are now faster and safer. In addition, they are more
fuel-efficient and comfortable and often provide entertainment options, as well. Vehicle
technology has improved the way engines run, the safety features within vehicles, such
as airbags, and the entertainment options available in a car.

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