In some sectors (space, biotechnology, electronics, among others), France has nothing to envy its competitors in terms of technological research.

The selected French technological innovations are both unexpected and unknown. Some of them are used every day without knowing that France is at the origin of this technology. Others have just been created and will gradually develop.

Here are 10 technologies “made in France” that have changed the world :

The bicycle

In 1861, locksmith Pierre Michaux invented the pedal system. It was a real success in France, and the first races appeared.

Braille

It was the young Louis, 15 years old and prematurely blind, who invented the famous characters that are still relevant today. Until 1824, children learned to read on letters bound with pressed copper wire. Imagine the weight of a book… .

The photography

The very beginning of photography comes from here: Joseph Nicéphore Niépce manages to create a box to fix medium quality images on a tin plate. The first photo in history was taken in 1826.

The automobile

After cycling and later the TGV, it seems that French inventors are famous in the field of transport. In 1771, military engineer Joseph Cugnot invented the first motor vehicle, steam of course.

The folding umbrella

Jean Marius invented the folding umbrella in 1705: it folded into three parts and held in a pocket. You will notice that three centuries later, no one has found more ingenious to protect themselves from the rain.

The first microcomputer

The first “personal” computer was invented by the Frenchman François Gernelle.

Hercules relieves the workers

Hercules aims to avoid musculoskeletal disorders when carrying heavy loads. It is compatible with a wide variety of morphologies. The exoskeleton allows loads of up to 40 kg to be carried with very little effort. It is mainly intended for the professions of strength.

The drones take the key to the fields

The Parrot eBee flying wing measures the light reflected from the foliage of crops to infer the state of photosynthesis with an accuracy and resolution 20 times higher than that of the satellite. This system maps 10 ha in a few minutes and then feeds the nitrogen input estimation software of INRA, the “Institut national de la recherche agronomique”.

Transparent concrete

Ciments Calcia has developed a prefabricated concrete panel that allows natural or artificial light to pass through, producing a surprising transparency effect. The “i.light” consists of a cementitious matrix and plastic resins. Cast in the factory as semi-finished products since this year, it opens up new design perspectives for different applications: decorative elements, walls, railings for terraces and balconies, stairs…

Supercam: the analyst of Martian surfaces

Placed on the mast of NASA’s future rover for the March 2020 mission, Supercam will remotely analyze rock chemistry. The design and manufacture of the device is carried out by the Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (Irap) in Toulouse.