Although the sensory organs of the human body can be extremely sensitive and responsive, modern science and technology rely on the development of much more precise measuring and analytical tools for studying, monitoring, or controlling all kinds of phenomena. The armillary sphere, the oldest known astronomical instrument, consisted essentially of a skeletal celestial globe whose rings represent the great circles of the heavens. The compass, the earliest instrument for direction finding that did not make reference to the stars, was a striking advance in instrumentation made about the 11th century. The telescope, the primary astronomical instrument, was invented about 1608 by the Dutch optician Hans Lippershey and first used extensively by Galileo.
Instrumentation involves both measurement and control functions.
Devices to measure and regulate steam pressure inside a boiler appeared at about the same time. In 1788 the Scotsman James Watt invented a centrifugal governor to maintain the speed of a steam engine at a predetermined rate. HERE Instrumentation developed at a rapid pace in the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in the areas of dimensional measurement, electrical measurement, and physical analysis. The industrial application of electricity required instruments to measure current, voltage, and resistance. In the 20th century the growth of modern industry, the introduction of computerization, and the advent of space exploration have spurred still greater development of instrumentation, particularly of electronic devices.