As strange as it may sound, many of today’s most important technologies were actually only originally developed for the military. Perhaps more surprisingly though, is what exactly the military has used in the past, or continues to use today, that is still used by businesses in a variety of industries. With that in mind, here’s a quick look at some of the best examples, as well as what impact they’re having today.
Metal Casings
While metal casings clearly have a number of uses for the military, including the most obvious, ammunition, it’s actually just as useful for agriculture. In a way, it’s almost ironic that they same system used to destroy land is also used to help make it grow. Still, there are plenty of magnesium casting companies today that have worked in both the agricultural and military industrial complexes. With that in mind, it’s interesting to see the parallels in technological needs, as well as how those technologies eventually moved somewhat away from the military to enter into commercial products and services.
Drones
Drones were originally used by the military as a scouting tool. Since then, they have also taken on a more aggressive role in the military, which doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. Still, drones have now also risen to become one of the most popular technological gadgets on the market today. For those who enjoy flying their drone and catching high resolution photos of the landscape, you kind of have the military to thank for that.
GPS
As it turns out, GPS was actually originally invented as a means for the military to better navigate around the world. In hindsight it seems like an obvious origin, but it doesn’t make its use in private life any less meaningful. In reality, the GPS just serves as further proof of what can be accomplished when something receives an investment from the might of the military.
While there are plenty of other examples of gadgets that were originally used or invented by the military, these are just some of the many interesting ones out there. If you’d like to find out more, then feel free to do your own research and see what you come up with. There are so many different technologies out there that originated thanks to the military, that it’d be almost impossible to list all of them. Still, it’s worth thinking about just how many gadgets we take for granted today because of the military.