Nicola Tesla was born in 1856 in Croatia and immigrated to the US. He was an inventor and a genius of his time. Given the number of patents (300) against his name, Tesla lived before his time (Delanerolle, Ebrahim, Goodinson, Elliot, Shetty, & Phiri, 2021). An invention that reminds the scientific community of his name is the Tesla coil. The induction coil used in radio technology is also credited to his name. Tesla fascinated the world during his lifetime with working and non-working inventions. Although he studied physics and engineering, Tesla never got a degree because he did not complete his studies. It did not deter him from achieving the greatest number of inventions. He is also known for the alternating current generation technology. Despite being underrated, Tesla is recognized for groundbreaking discoveries that form the basis of modern living.

Tesla had learned the functioning of alternating current and wished to partner with Thomas Edison to distribute power to households. He moved to work with Edison to solve the problem of transmitting the direct current to the homes. It saved the pioneer a lot of money.

However, Tesla hoped that Edison would adopt his alternating current invention to benefit society. Edison never approved it. George Westinghouse felt that Tesla’s alternating current technology would solve the long-distance transmission of power. The rivalry between the two owners of differing technologies led to their separation. The alternating current generating company that Tesla formed competed with Edison’s. The controversy overshadowed Tesla’s recognition despite the significance of the technology.

He later invented many other technologies, with the tesla coil being prominent. It is used today in many devices. Radio transmission today, including the modern ultrasound, was part of his invention. Delanerolle et al. (2021) describe radiation as a wave that can penetrate a human body without causing any twitching. He also invented a radio-controlled vessel of artificial intelligence. The exhibition on the boat in 1898 fascinated because viewers perceived it as having a borrowed mind. It led to the birth of robotics, which the world strives to improve (Delanerolle et al., 2021). Indeed, Tesla’s work cut across disciplines, making them most applicable today. However, his name does not feature as a great inventor but a charlatan, yet society uses his technology the most. For example, Morus (2019) describes Tesla as a great inventor and a charlatan. His practical-oriented approach led to failures and the inability of the scientific community to replicate the experiments in any laboratory. After Tesla’s death, his research papers disappeared.

Indeed, Tesla was underrated, but his work has remained groundbreaking. Most of his technology, such as the alternating current, is widely applicable today. The concept of artificial intelligence in robotics is still undergoing development to date. It indicates that Tesla discovered technologies beyond his time. Despite the 300 patents in his name, he is less recognized because, at the time of his death, none of his research remained. Others refer to him as a charlatan.