Renaissance Inventions

The Renaissance period is marked with developments which took place in various fields such as science, arts, philosophy, etc. in Europe. The timeline of Renaissance period spans between 1300-1600 (circa). It is believed that Florence, Italy, was the epicenter of the Renaissance movement; it was the place where the early changes started to occur. The important Renaissance inventions, discoveries and changes which took place are presented in the paragraphs below.

The Renaissance Inventions and Technology

An important phase from the point of social, political, cultural and scientific changes, the Renaissance period marked the beginning of a revolution that bolstered Europe's economy and military prowess; it had an indirect effect on the culture and social life of Europeans. These sociocultural influences also brought about changes in the field of science. It was the transitional phase between medieval and modern times. Inventions of this period proved to be the building blocks of scientific development in future. The information about Renaissance inventions and inventors given below, should help in understanding the crucial changes which took place during the Renaissance period.

Submarine A design of submarine was created by Leonardo Da Vinci. However, Cornelius van Drebbel invented the submarine in the year 1624. The submarine created by Drebbel was capable of going 15 feet below the surface of water; it was basically a rowboat made from wood and fitted with air tubes. The submarine was tested in the river Thames and remained submerged for a period of 3 hours. David Bushnell of the United States built the first submarine named 'Turtle' for military use in 1776. John Holland and Simon built what could be called as true submarine in the 1890s. These submarines were bought by the naval forces of USA, Russia and Japan bought these submarines. Mechanical Clock The mechanical clock was invented in the beginning of 13th century. It would be appropriate to say that the development in technology of mechanical clock took place gradually. The earliest design of mechanical clock incorporated a drum containing mercury and which was driven by weights. The drums used in these mechanical clocks had compartments filled with mercury. The mercury passed through holes present in the compartments and thereby controlled the rate at which drum movement took place. Measurement of day time in a 24 hour cycle became possible after the invention of this clock. Printing Press This machine was invented in 1440 by Johann Gutenberg of Germany. It was one of the most important Renaissance inventions. The invention of printing press helped a lot in making vernacular literature available to the masses. Metal molds and alloys were used in the earliest form of printing press made by Gutenberg. Read more on who invented the printing press. Eyeglasses Salvino D'Armato degli Armati from Italy is credited with making wearable eyeglasses in 1284. It was not until 15th century that glasses for conditions like hyperopia, myopia and presbyopia were made. Roger Bacon is said to have used reading glasses in the year 1268 AD. It is however, not clearly known whether he used reading stones or proper lenses fitted in frames. Artillery The invention of gunpowder in China led to many inventions like the gun, rocket launchers, etc. To improve the accuracy of rockets, an engineer called William Congreve made use of launching tubes. The 'howitzer' was invented in the 17th century. This artillery machine was used to hit targets positioned at steep angles. It was invented by the English and Dutch armed forces. The Match This invention was made in 1680 by Robert Boyle. Substances like phosphorus and sulfur when rubbed together, produce fire. This very concept was implemented by Robert Boyle in the process of inventing the match. Due to their combustible nature, the matches manufactured in those times were deemed unsafe. Wallpaper It is one of the important inventions of Renaissance period. The first paper mill was set up in England in the year 1496. With the availability of paper, many designs and patterns of wallpapers were developed. Stencils, hand painted designs and wood-block prints were used in the creation of wallpapers. Microscope Hans Janssen developed the first compound microscope in 1509. The fact that placing one glass behind other increases their magnifying power lead to the development of compound microscope. Earliest forms of microscopes offered 20-30 times greater magnification of objects. Compass The compass was first used by a Chinese voyager Zheng He (1371-1435). He is known to have undertaken seven ocean voyages in the period between 1405 and 1433 AD. The Europeans came to known about the compass later on. Flush Toilets The first flush toilet was made in 1596 by John Harrington. It was only after two hundred years after this invention that the flush toilet was reinvented by Alexander Cummings.

Leonardo Da Vinci's Designs

Some of the sketches and designs made by Leonardo D Vinci were not converted into actual, workable machines. These designs created in the Renaissance period were however, quite sophisticated and detailed. The ornithopter was one such design which proved to be the basis on which today's helicopters are made. The other important designs created by Leonardo Da Vinci are listed below: Artillery Park Stretching Device for Barrel Spring Automatic Igniting Device for Firearms Parachute Flying Machine (1488 AD) Armoured Car Machine for Storming Walls Giant Crossbow Eight Barrelled Machine Gun Boat Design

The phenomenon of Renaissance (i.e. rebirth) brought a new lease to Europe - which was living in dark ages. Scientific developments played a major role in bringing about these changes. The Renaissance inventions are therefore considered to be of great significance. This was the period which instilled in the European culture a kind of respect for science. It was the beginning of a new age of knowledge and prosperity in this continent.