Martin Cooper, father of the mobile phone, is concerned about the behavior caused by his invention, while recognizing its infinite potential.
By Isabelle Missiaen for Le Point (with AFP)
© Eric Audras / MAXPPP / AltoPress / Maxppp
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In April 3, 1973, the first mobile call in history was made by its inventor, Martin Cooper. Fifty years later, the American engineer looks back at his creature with concern. THE ” father of mobile », 94, remains convinced that our mobile phones have almost infinite potential. On the other hand, he admits to being ” devastated to see people crossing the street looking at their cell phones. They’ve lost their minds ». ” But when a few people get hit by cars, they’ll understand »he joked to AFP.
Apple smartwatch on his wrist, state-of-the-art iPhone in hand, Martin Cooper moves intuitively from emails to photos and from YouTube to the app for adjusting his hearing aid. He sources each new model and thoroughly tests their capabilities. But, he confesses, the millions of applications available make you dizzy.
” I will never, ever be able to figure out how to use a cell phone the way my grandchildren and great-grandchildren do. »he said.
” This phone weighed more than a kilo »
Martin Cooper’s cell phone, which he uses primarily for making calls, bears little resemblance to the heavy block of wires and electronic circuits he used to make the first mobile call in history, the 3 April 1973. He was then at the head of a team of designers and engineers from Motorola, which had invested millions of dollars in an attempt to beat Bell System, an American telecom giant, in the design of the first mobile telephone system.
Bell System had raised this idea at the end of the Second World War, but had only managed to install, from the end of the 1960s, telephones in cars, in particular because of their enormous battery. For Martin Cooper, this did not allow real mobility. So, after three months of non-stop work, his team finally managed to develop the DynaTAC rover.
” This phone weighed more than a kilo […] and its battery allowed to hold a conversation for about 25 minutes », he recalls. But ” it was not a problem »because the device ” was so heavy you couldn’t lift it for 25 minutes »he says.
For his first call, Martin Cooper had the genius idea of calling his rival at Bell System, Dr. Joel Engel. ” I said, “Joel, this is Martin Cooper. […] I’m talking to you from a mobile phone. But a real mobile, personal, portable, hand-held.” There was silence on the other end of the line. I think he was gritting his teeth. »
” The mobile has become an extension of the person »
These first cell phones were not cheap: around 5,000 dollars each. The first to adopt them, according to the inventor, were real estate agents. Thanks to mobile, they could both show houses and respond to new customers. ” It doubled their productivity »he believes.
” Today, the mobile has become an extension of the person, it can do much more »says Martin Cooper. ” And this is only the beginning, we are only beginning to understand what he is capable of. »
” In the future, we can expect mobile to revolutionize education, healthcare »he said again. ” I know I sound like I’m exaggerating, but know that in a generation or two, we’re going to beat the disease. » In the same way that his watch monitors his pulse when he swims, according to him, phones will one day be connected to body sensors that will perceive diseases before they occur.
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The former engineer knew mobiles would eventually change the world, though he hadn’t imagined everything they would be capable of. ” We knew that one day everyone would have a telephone. We are almost there. »
As for people hypnotized by their phones, he thinks that will change. ” Each generation will be smarter. They will learn to use smartphones more efficiently »he predicted. ” Sooner or later, humans always end up moving forward. »
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