Fluidics was a technology that was invented at the wrong time. It was invented in the 1960s just as transistorized computers were becoming common. One can only

Fluidics was a technology that was invented at the wrong time. It was invented in the 1960s just as transistorized computers were becoming common. One can only speculate on what the world would be like if fluidics was discovered say in the 1800s. It could potentially be mass produced with technology of the time. Right off the bat one might be able to attain switching speeds similar to relay computers for complicated circuits, audio-frequency operation for simple circuits, and analog computation at decent speeds. So we can get things like adding machines, somewhat automated factories, autopilots, sound amplifiers, gunnery computers, and what not. Of course, this alternate history is unlikely, because some of the knowledge necessary to develop fluidics came out of understanding airplane flight. The coanda effect, wherein a jet of fluid tends to stay near walls which is useful for making bistable flip flops, was discovered accidentally when testing a new airplane design[0] Even though fluidics came out at the wrong time it did find some niche applications in aerospace and factory process control because fluidics was more reliable than similar electrical and electromechanical systems for a bit. Fluidics not having any moving parts is fairly robust and is tolerant of high temperatures, high shocks, high radiation, high magnetic fields, and more. The concorde actually used fluidic components in one of it's nozzle control systems at one point[1]. Because of fluidics inherent EMP resistance and acceleration resistance, fluidics has been considered shockingly recently for use in anti-ballistic missile guidance systems[2]. Fluidics still enjoys some niche applications today. Some HVAC and industrial control systems supposedly use fluidics. One interesting current day application of fluidics is kosher sound amplification[3]. Orthodox Judaism prohibits electronic sound amplification on the sabbath because it constitutes work. Using a speaker to produce sound constitutes labor because it creates a sound that did not exist before from electricity. Fluidics is able to get around this prohibition and can amplify sound in the range of human speech. [0]http://www.thermofluids.co.uk/effect.php http://www.thermofluids.co.uk/effect.php [1]http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a049256.pdf http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a049256.pdf [2]http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA204334 http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDo... [3]http://acoustics.org/pressroom/httpdocs/132nd/2aaa8.html http://acoustics.org/pressroom/httpdocs/132nd/2aaa8.html