Initially, Babbage's work was not fully appreciated during his lifetime. His ambitious projects were often viewed as failures due to their incompleteness.

With the development of electronic computers, Babbage's designs for the Analytical Engine were recognized as a visionary blueprint for modern computing architecture. His concepts of programmable computation and stored programs were seen as fundamental.

Howard Aiken, inspired by Babbage's work, designed the Harvard Mark I, an electromechanical computer that implemented some of Babbage's concepts.

Babbage is now widely regarded as a pioneer of computing. His ideas have influenced the design and development of modern computers, and his work is studied by computer scientists and historians of technology.

The successful construction of the Difference Engine No. 2 by the London Science Museum demonstrated the feasibility of Babbage's designs and further cemented his legacy as a brilliant inventor.

Babbage's work continues to inspire researchers and innovators in computer science and engineering. His designs and ideas are studied as historical precedents for modern computing systems. There are also multiple biographies and research papers on Babbage.