Technology has pressed its way into almost every nook and cranny of American society. This complete saturation of technology has changed the way Americans live.

“Technology is important because it affects how we live every day,” said Zach Oster, graduate in computer science. “New technologies quickly transform our everyday routines.”

Technology is not just an American obsession. In fact, almost the entire world is enamored by it. This infatuation has led to heavy competition between countries.

“As technology keeps advancing, technologically advanced countries will always be able to take full advantage of the latest ideas,” Oster said. “Not all of those ideas will succeed in the long run, but the ones that do succeed will produce good jobs and economic growth.”

In the “technological world race,” a few countries are far ahead of the rest. These countries include: Japan, Sweden and South Korea. 

Japan

Japan is the world’s technology super-giant. From Nintendo’s gaming systems to Toyota’s Prius, the Japanese have been creating ground-breaking technology for decades. Although Japan’s technological inventions differ as much as the country’s landscape, one branch of technology has continually fascinated: robotics.

A robot is defined as essentially any automatically-guided machine, and they can be used for practically any purpose: from entertainment and sports to rescue and domestic service.

Robots can also come in many different forms. Science fiction works have popularized humanoid robots, machines that look like humans. One of the most recognizable humanoid robots is Honda’s ASIMO, “The World’s Most Advanced Robot.”

Honda engineers have been working on ASIMO for more than two decades. At present, ASIMO can run, walk, turn smoothly, climb stairs and reach and grab objects. With force sensors in its wrist, the robot is able to judge the amount of force needed to shake a person’s hand, to push a cart and to carry a tray.

ASIMO also has stored walking patterns, which control foot placement, turning, acceleration, deceleration and stopping. Posture control helps ASIMO maintain balance and avoid slipping. By using a series of sensors, ASIMO can also identify and maneuver around objects.

What sets ASIMO apart from other robots is its superior intelligence. With its highly-advanced “ears,” ASIMO can distinguish between voices; recognize its name; look at the person speaking and respond; and recognize sudden, unusual sounds and turn toward the sound. Like its ears, ASIMO’s “eyes” are also impressive. Its “eyes” can interpret movement, recognize posture and gestures and distinguish between registered faces.

In the future, Honda envisions ASIMO helping the elderly or the disabled. The company also sees the robot performing dangerous tasks like fighting fires or cleaning toxic spills. As time passes, ASIMO will continue to show the world that robotics is not just science-fiction.

Sweden

Beyond being one of the “happiest” countries in the world, Sweden also appears to be one of the most technologically-advanced.

The Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010 ranked Sweden as the country with the most networked economy. The report analyzed 133 countries on how the countries use information and communications technology.

In addition to having a well-connected economy, Sweden also prides itself on research and innovation. The European Innovation Scoreboard put Sweden on top of its index in 2008, beating other European Union members, Japan and the U.S.

In its history, Sweden has supplied the world with the ball bearing, the safety match, the adjustable wrench, the zipper and the pacemaker. Swedish inventors also created the Tetra Pak, a liquid food packaging system that is found in refrigerators all across the world and helped with the development of the Global Positioning System.

Among the country’s technological pursuits, Sweden is particularly strong in biotechnology; pharmaceuticals are one of the Sweden’s main exports. Swedish inventors have created asthma medicines, a growth hormone and a stomach ulcer drug.

Swedish researchers are especially interested in medical devices, like imaging equipment, ECG equipment and orthopedic implants. The pacemaker, a medical device that regulates the beating of the heart, is one of Sweden’s most influential inventions.

Rune Elmqvist created a small battery-driven pacemaker in 1958. When the device was placed into a human, the pacemaker only lasted a few hours. However, adjustments were made, and the patient lived until 2001.

Since that monumental implantation, the pacemaker has been modified and improved. There are more than 3 million people worldwide with pacemakers, and 600,000 pacemakers are implanted each year, according to the American Heart Association.

With all of the inventions developed in the country, Sweden has proven to the world that it is much more than just “happy.”

South Korea

Although the country is often overshadowed by its troublesome northern neighbor, South Korea has quietly become one of the world’s most influential countries, largely due to its technological innovations.

The South Korean government decided to spend $1.5 billion to construct a nationwide high capacity broadband network in 1995. At the time, the government was heavily criticized for the decision.

Today, South Korea has the fastest broadband speeds in the world — four times faster than those in the U.S.

In addition to speed, broadband service in South Korea is cheaper than broadband service in the U.S. The low prices are due to the fact that South Korea has many broadband service companies.

The competition between these South Korean companies helps keep prices low. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reported that the average cost in the U.S. for Internet connection is $45.50. In South Korea, the average broadband bill is about $28.50.

The low prices help increase internet usage in South Korea. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 94 percent of South Koreans have broadband service. In contrast, the FCC reported that only 65 percent of Americans have broadband service.

The speed and connectivity of the country’s broadband service has helped lure many companies to test their products in South Korea. With such a high level of Internet saturation, companies know that trends spread fast in the country. Companies like L’Oreal, Phillips and Nikon have all taken advantage of product testing in South Korea.

The broadband service has also helped connect South Korean research institutions. This service helps researchers contact one another quickly and easily.

In 2012, the Korean Communications Commission plans to increase broadband speeds to 1 Gbps, 200 times faster than the 5 Mbps DSL connection often sold in the U.S.