Tool

A Tool is an artifact used by an organism to perform a specific task though tool use.

• AKA: Instrument, Implement, Utensil, Apparatus, Device.
• Context:
  • It can typically extend Human Capability through physical tool mechanisms.
  • It can typically enhance Work Efficiency through specialized tool designs.
  • It can typically transform Input into output through controlled tool processes.
  • It can typically amplify Force through mechanical tool advantages.
  • It can typically modify features of the surrounding environment through deliberate tool applications.
  • ...
  • It can often embody Domain Knowledge through specialized tool forms.
  • It can often facilitate System Integration through tool interfaces.
  • It can often organize Work Process through tool workflow structures.
  • It can often represent Cultural Practice through tool design evolutions.
  • It can often preserve Technical Knowledge through embodied tool principles.
  • ...
  • It can range from being an Animal Tool, to being a Human Tool, to being an AI Tool.
  • It can range from being a Simple Tool to being a Complex Tool, depending on its tool mechanical complexity.
  • It can range from being a Physical Tool to being a Conceptual Tool, depending on its tool manifestation form.
  • It can range from being a Natural Tool to being an Invented Tool (such as a technological tool).
  • It can range from being a Manual Tool to being an Automated Tool, depending on its tool operation mode.
  • It can range from being a General-Purpose Tool to being a Specialized Tool, depending on its tool application scope.
  • It can range from being a Traditional Tool to being a Digital Tool, depending on its tool technological era.
  • ...
  • It can have Tool Material Composition for tool structural integrity.
  • It can have Tool Functional Design for tool task execution.
  • It can have Tool Interface Mechanism for tool user interaction.
  • It can have Tool Performance Characteristic for tool capability assessment.
  • It can have Tool Usage Context for tool application boundary.
  • ...
  • It can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task.
  • It can be used for Tool Purposes, such as the preparation of food, hunting, the manufacture of weapons, the working of materials to produce clothing and useful artifacts and crafts, and the construction of housing, businesses, infrastructure, and transportnation.
  • It can be Durable Tool during extended tool use.
  • It can be Adaptable Tool for changing tool conditions.
  • It can be Multipurpose Tool in diverse tool scenarios.
  • It can be Transformative Tool for work processes.
  • It can be Evolving Tool through technological tool advancements.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Tool User Categories, such as:
    • Animal Tool Users, such as:
      • Chimpanzees using Stick Tools to extract termites from mounds.
      • Sea Otters using Rock Tools to crack open shellfish.
      • New Caledonian Crows using Twig Tools to extract insects from tree bark.
      • Dolphins using Sponge Tools to protect their snouts while foraging on the seafloor.
      • Crows using Leaf Tools to gather water.
      • Octopuses using Coconut Shell Tools for protection.
    • Human Tool Users, such as:
      • Craftspersons using Hand Tools for precision work.
      • Medical Professionals using Diagnostic Tools for patient assessment.
      • Engineers using Design Tools for technical creation.
      • Artists using Creative Tools for artistic expression.
    • AI Tool Users, such as:
      • LLM Agents using API Tools for information retrieval.
      • Robotic Systems using Sensor Tools for environment perception.
      • Autonomous Vehicles using Navigation Tools for path planning.
  • Simple Tools, such as:
    • Physical Tools, such as:
      • a Stick Tool, used by a Chimpanzee, to extract termites from a mound.
      • a Rock Tool used by a Sea Otter to crack open shellfish.
      • a Twig Tool used by a New Caledonian Crow to extract insects from tree bark.
      • a Sponge Tool used by a Dolphin to protect its snout while foraging on the seafloor.
      • a Leaf Tool, used by a Crow, to gather water.
      • a Coconut Shell Tool, used by an Octopus, for protection.
      • a Screwdriver that showcases the simplicity and versatility of hand tools.
      • a Hammer used for driving nails into various materials.
      • ...
  • Complex Tools, such as:
    • Physical Tools, such as:
      • a Paintbrush used by artists to create paintings.
      • a Stethoscope used by doctors to listen to heart and lung sounds.
      • a Microscope that highlights the importance of tools in scientific research.
      • a 3D Printer that exemplifies modern manufacturing tools.
      • a Laptop used for a wide range of tasks from writing to programming.
      • a Smartphone used for communication, browsing, and various applications.
      • ...
    • Virtual Tools, such as:
      • an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that demonstrates the complexity and utility of software tools in programming.
      • a Web Search API used to gather information from the internet.
      • a NLU Tool used for natural language understanding and processing.
      • a Computer Vision Tool used for image recognition and analysis.
      • a Communication Tool used for information exchange and collaboration.
      • ...
  • Tool Domain Categories, such as:
    • Carpentry Tools, such as:
      • Plane Tool for wood tool smoothing.
      • Chisel Tool for wood tool carving.
    • Medical Tools, such as:
      • Scalpel Tool for surgical tool incisions.
      • Stethoscope Tool for auditory tool examinations.
    • Software Tools, such as:
      • Spreadsheet Tool for data tool analysis.
      • Word Processor Tool for document tool creation.
      • Database Tool for information tool organization.
    • Research Tools, such as:
      • Statistical Package Tool for pattern tool identification.
      • Diagnostic Instrument Tool for system tool evaluation.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Raw Materials, which lack tool functional design and require tools for transformation.
  • Natural Objects, which lack intentional tool creation for specific tool purposes.
  • Concepts, which are not an artifact.
  • Sensory Organ, such as a vision organ, which is a biological component rather than an artifact.
  • Products, which are the result of tool use rather than tools themselves.
  • Systems, which encompass multiple tools and processes in integrated frameworks.
  • Methods, which define procedures for using tools rather than being tools themselves.
• See: Ability, Instrument, Mechanical Device, Paleolithic, Physical Object, Tool Use by Animals, Wood, Device, Technology, Artifact, Equipment, Appliance, Implement.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool Retrieved:2024-5-20.
  • ... possible handle of a hammer, and rule.]] A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates back hundreds of millennia, have been observed using tools to make other tools.

    Early human tools, made of such materials as stone, bone, and wood, were used for the preparation of food, hunting, the manufacture of weapons, and the working of materials to produce clothing and useful artifacts and crafts such as pottery, along with the construction of housing, businesses, infrastructure, and transportation. The development of metalworking made additional types of tools possible. Harnessing energy sources, such as animal power, wind, or steam, allowed increasingly complex tools to produce an even larger range of items, with the Industrial Revolution marking an inflection point in the use of tools. The introduction of widespread automation in the 19th and 20th centuries allowed tools to operate with minimal human supervision, further increasing the productivity of human labor.

    By extension, concepts that support systematic or investigative thought are often referred to as "tools" or "toolkits".

2015b

• https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tool#Noun
  1. A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
  2. Equipment used in a profession, e.g., tools of the trade.
  3. Something to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.
  4. (Computing) A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.

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  5. A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group.

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2015a

• (Wikipedia, 2015) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tool Retrieved:2015-11-29.
  • A tool is any physical item that can be used to achieve a goal, especially if the item is not consumed in the process. Tool use by humans dates back millions of years, and other animals are also known to employ simple tools.

    Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such as "instrument", "utensil", "implement", "machine", "device," or "apparatus". The set of tools needed to achieve a goal is "equipment". The knowledge of constructing, obtaining and using tools is technology.

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