Portuguese Inventors that Changed our

World

Pedro NunesPedro Nunes was a portuguese mathematician in charge of developing maps to the kingdom of Portugal. His contributions are relevant to sailing. He dedicated himself to solve and to better define maps, based on mathematics. He invented several new devices, including the "anel náutico", the "instrumento de sombras", and the popular nónio (nonius, corresponding to Nunes in latin). Pedro Nunes solved several problems related with sea navigation. For instance, some of the methods he created introduced higher precision in determining a ship's location.

Curiosities: Did you know that Nónio had its name from Nunes, that in latin was Nonius? In 1531, D. João III, King of Portugal, made Pedro Nunes responsible for the education of the king's younger brothers Luís and Henrique. Years later Pedro Nunes also became the private teacher of D. João's grandson, D. Sebastião. Did you know that there is an asteroid named 5313 Nunes in honour to Pedro Nunes?

Bartolomeu de Gusmão Bartolomeu de Gusmão was a catholic priest and a scientist that is known for one of his inventions, the “Passarola” (1709). This invention is a predecessor to the air baloon. The patent that protected this idea was submitted on 19.04.1709!

The news about this invention spread quickly all over Europe. Therefore, in order to protect better this idea, a student of Bartolomeu, Joaquim Francisco de Sá Almeida e Meneses, made a very exotic drawing of the Passarola, drawing which was really not the true prototype drawing. Therefore, some people copied this forged invention ending up not having any success, of course.

Curiosities Bartolomeu de Gusmão started his inventions still in basic school. Then, with less than 15 years of age he invented and prototyped a mechanism that carried water hill above until the place where his school was. You see, at the time there was no plumbing and people had to regularly fetch water with buckets, from local fountains or rivers. This invention was protected as "a mechanism to allow the water to flow up in any distance and height in 1705.

Father Manuel António GomesFather Manuel António Gomes, known in history as Father Hymalaia, was a catholic priest, a scientist as well as inventor. He pioneered solar energy! He was the one to introuce solar energy in Portugal. While he was studying in a Seminar (in Braga, north of Portugal), he realized that he loved aspects concerning the applicability of technology to farming and to physics. After classes he used to go to the library in the Seminar, which had over 7000 books. There. he studied lots of books about natural sciences

He came from a rural area with a strong farming tradition, aspect which he remained truthful to all of his life. He studied and developed a way to improve fertilization of soils based on solar energy: he invented an optical device as a way to create environments with high temperatures, to improve the soil quality! This device was named by himself pireliéforo and is based on mirrors that reflect the light onto single point.

Curiosities Pireliéforo derivecs from greek and means something similar to "Eu trago o fogo do Sol""; has the Father was very high his seminars colleagues nicknamed him Hymalaia. He was a vegetarian and believer of naturopathy, in particular of fitoterapy (where plants are used to heal) and of hydrotherapy.

Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho Gago Coutinho was a portuguese navy officer as well as a great cartographer. He started drawing maps in 1898, on one of his first trips to Timor.  

Gago Coutinho invented the first sextante with an artificial horizon. This device was then used in airplanes to measure the distance between the horizon line and celestial bodies. Such measure was then used to compute our position while traveling, even at night  Gago Coutinho did several aereal trips with his friend Sacadura Cabral to validate his sextante. One of such trips was between Lisbon, Portugal, and Brazil. This trip started in 30.03.1922 and lasted until 17.06.1922. This trip made it in history and corroborates the value of Gago Coutinho and of his inventions.

Curiosities  Gago Coutinho made a lot of maps. Until 1920 he had covered Timor and several countries and regions in Africa such as: Niassa in Mozambique; Congo; Zambezia; Barotze (currently Zâmbia); São Tomé e Príncipe. Gago Coutinho was also one of the responsibles for the definition of the border between Angola and Zaire. While he was drawing these maps, he crossed Africa on foot!

Jaime Octávio de Magalhães FilipeJaime Octávio de Magalhães Filipe was a portuguese inventor and the pioneer of Rehabilitation Engineering in Portugal. He has also founded the portuguese inventor's association,  in 1970.

Jaimhe created several inventions, all of them targetting better well-being for impaired citizens. He invented a tactil vision system for blind people, which was then commercialized by the american company Telesensory. Jaime invented several other mechanisms, for instance, the microphone protections against wind (1951), the Orquestrola (1959); an electrical wheelchair elevator (1981); an electronic cane for blind (1986).

Curiosities: Jaime worked for long with RTP, the national TV broadcaster, as a sound engineer. In 1978, he created the TV show “Novos Horizontes” , a programme dedicated to innovation focused on improving the life of impaired citizens. In October 1990, Jaime Filipe was awarded by the portuguese government with the degree of Grande-Oficial da Ordem do Mérito, due to the value of his contributions to Portugal.