Yes, techinical analysis is a pure determinstic technique, although it is always advised that you should conside its consequences in the statistical sense. Modern quant finance is based on stochastic process, or specifical martigale theory, so it is good for derivative modelling, but not for the prediction of underlying equities. Another difference is that, basically technical analysis is to do structure analysis, so pivots are very important. Quant finance, as name implies, is pure quantitative, thus any piece of data is important (anything has a statistical meaning). If, in any way, you can synthesize these two techinques together for predicating the equity prices, sure you are the first one to bridge the gap.
That's what I said: actions precede concepts (that's why a machine can be built before concepts) but when better concepts are known they substitute to older ones sooner or later it will depend on evolution of competition: necessity is law and in trading futures where the sum of the game is null and even negative this is sure a leading motivation.