What is technological development? What is an example?

Technological development relates to really anything in regards to inventions or innovations. Development is essentially the process that takes a product or idea from a hypothesis to a usable product. More often than not, development is usually restarted after a product is finished, which is known as a prototype, which means it was a testing to determine if the technology was ready for regular usage.

An example of this was laser technology; back 60 years ago, they were most likely tested in a secret lab funded by the government, most likely for military application. Once it passed R&D (research and development), prototypes were sent out to be field tested. They were large, probably the size of something you could fit on the back of a flatbed.

Eventually, the tech became more condensed and was modified to more portable applications, such as range finders, laser designators and aim assistance for long arms. By the late 70s, the public eye was able to SLOWLY get the technology. Roll ahead thirty years and lasers are micro sized and used for surgery, printing etc.

That’s just an example in a nutshell of development.

Looking at the definition of technology - this will help you understand :

Technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.

It is the application of this knowledge for practical ends and can be applied to the terminology of an art, science, etc.; technical nomenclature.  It is also a scientific or industrial process, invention, method, or the like.

Technology can also be the sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their civilization.

In my core business of filmmaking, an example is how we no longer shoot film, we no use the technology evolution of digital - recording an image to a sensor vie a lens rather than light penetrating silver halide on the surface of film.

Another example is the technological evolution from an abacus to a computer for doing mathematical equations.