Photo by CC user Mk2010 on Wikimedia Commons

Military and defense technology has been and continues to be developed by companies like Megabite Electronics to help defend our nation. However, what many people don’t realize is that many of the technologies that we take for granted in our daily lives were originally developed by the military, and spill-over into the civilian world when their commercial potential is realised. Here are some technologies that we can the military for developing.

GPS systems

Every time we use our smartphones to help up find our way from point A to point B, we have the military to thank. Global positioning systems are able to locate our precise location on earth through the use of a network of satellites launched by the Department of Defence in the 1970s to allow submarines to be accurately located. Since then, the technology was made available for civilian use on the order of President Ronald Reagan.

Microwave ovens

The ability to reheat pizza in 20 seconds came to us from the military’s need to find the speed, range, and direction of moving objects via radio detection and ranging (aka, radar). The intention of the technology was never to cook food, but once it was discovered that the microwaves emitted by radar equipment could do just that, we never looked back.

Drones

A relatively recent crossover from the military sphere, drones are quickly becoming part of everyday life. From delivery services to aerial photography, drones are making many inroads into commercial areas. They are also being used to assist agriculture and engineering, and may soon be used to provide mobile internet services in remote areas in the developing world.

Duct tape

This ubiquitous tape was originally developed in World War II as a way to seal ammunition cases and protect them from water. Originally, duct tape was camo-green, but after the war it assumed its now famous grey color. Today, duct tape is used to repair everything from furniture to, well, ducts!

The Deep Web

The Deep Web is the dark underbelly of the internet where users are completely anonymous. Currently, it is the domain of pornographers and sellers of illicit drugs and other items. The software that made the deep web possible was developed and patented by the Nay in the 90s as a way to securely transfer highly encrypted information.

The EpiPen

Anyone who has a serious food allergy will be familiar with the life-saving adrenaline auto-injector. Currently carried by school children with allergies, the EpiPen was originally developed by the military as an antidote against nerve gas.

Digital photography

If you can’t remember the last time you took a picture using film, you have the military to thank for the development of digital photography. As early as 1976 the American National Reconnaissance Office had developed a technique to use sensors to capture light and then to store it digitally in a camera.

So, the next time you take a picture on your smartphone while navigating unfamiliar territory eating a microwaved hotdog in your car held together by duct tape, you have the military to thank!