Black Inventors Changed Homes For Good
The modern home today is usually identified through different forms of digital technology. Technology like podcast microphones, LED lighting, and security systems are all advancements that can improve the quality of life during the pandemic. Many of these modern advancements were invented by African American revolutionaries who could not predict how their technology would flourish. To honor electrical pioneers during black history month, here are the stories of three groundbreaking inventors who revolutionized home electricity.
Lewis Latimer and the Original Light Bulb Scandal
Lewis Latimer is an influential and fundamental black inventor in electrical history. In addition to his numerous patents, Mr. Latimer was first hired as the assistant manager for the United States Electric Lighting Company. Here, he created a base from which modern inventions would grow.
Lightbulbs only lasted a few days before Lewis Latimer discovered a way to encase the filament. By using a cardboard envelope, Mr. Latimer could prevent carbon from breaking effectively. This method allows electricity to function as we know it.
Eventually, Lewis Latimer was hired by the recognized inventor of the lightbulb, Thomas Edison. Working together, they built a distinguished group of inventors and engineers in the electrical industry. Their efforts during the 1800s paved the way for modern advancements in entertainment and transportation.
James E. West and the Wild West of Microphones
Like Lewis Latimer, James E. West is known for his innovations in electricity. As an electrical and computer engineering professor, he can teach students about condenser microphones.
Mr. West, along with Gerhard Sessler, is the co-inventor of the foil electret microphone. This type of condenser microphone is used in telephones and music recording studios. Approximately 90% of microphones used today are based on Mr. West’s invention. The electret microphone relies on electret transducers for sound quality and is highly sensitive.
Intelligent devices such as digital assistants or GPS trackers have an electret microphone for voice recording. Voice recognition software can understand commands through the quality and sensitivity of this particular microphone. Because it is built small, these intelligent devices can be compact.
Marie Van Brittan Brown Invented the Home Security System From Home
The home security system is one of the most necessary security features a house can have. Although the system is physically small, it can respond to multiple tasks. Marie Van Brittan Brown is a black woman inventor that changed the way homeowners saw safety. She was able to invent the first closed-circuit television security system.
In 1966 she invented a system with two-way microphones, four peepholes, and the camera. The peepholes were designed for sliding cameras that could survey and capture images. This complexity allowed Marie Van Brittan Brown to communicate to an individual outdoors while staying in place.
In 1969, a U.S. patent number was assigned to her invention. It was recognized in The New York Times. Through her meaningful contributions to society, she received an award from the National Scientists Committee. Ms. Brown’s patent inspired some of the same security systems used today.
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