We’re often told to think big. It’s such a commonplace sentiment that few of us really stop to consider what it means. To be sure, it has obvious implications about the scope of any particular project. We want our various works to make a big impact on the world. But what if the best way to think big was to think small?
That sentiment might seem nonsensical at first glance. After all, how can thinking on a smaller scale lead to bigger results? But the answer is that in the world of high tech electronics there’s often an issue of scale. Basically, big results often come from working with smaller and smaller components.
One of the best examples of this is the modern smartphone. People often forget just how much is packed into these tiny devices. But anyone who’s worked in the electronics industry would benefit by taking a moment to really consider it. Modern smartphones are quite slim. But they don’t just contain a phone. They have increasingly powerful multi-core ARM processors.
Smartphones also have accelerators, light sensors, multiple cameras, sound input and output, LED systems and of course large and powerful screens. To top it all off they have slim batteries capable of running for many hours. They have far more to offer than most sensor boxes used for hardware testing. But they come in at only a fraction of those system’s overall size.
Saying that smartphones have made a big impact on the world is an understatement. They’re the perfect example of a project that changes the world on a huge scale. But what would you say if you were told that it’s done so by working on a very small scale? Think back to just how much goes into those small packages. And now consider exactly how that might be possible.
The answer comes down to designing components on a nano-scale. This basically means designing components which function in a range below standard human sight. Of course telling someone that they need to see beyond the limits of human sight raises quite a few more questions. It probably seems outright impossible at first. But the answer is that modern technology also gives people the option to work on a nano-scale. It’s true that the equipment is costly. But one can get started fairly cheaply by first looking for a nanopositioner software for sale.
The software itself will require corresponding hardware further down the line. But most of the software packages can be used for learning purposes without using any additional hardware. This means that one can essentially learn by doing without spending very much. This is an ideal way of seeing if one’s initial ideas are viable.
This can even take the place of many field’s standard prototyping phases. And only when one has proven the theory will it necessitate more costly choices. It’s not just a more efficient way to go about engineering either. Many people also consider it vastly more satisfying from an overall design perspective.
