Have we ever wondered what the origin of some of our daily use inventions is? Or the reason why some things were thought of and invented? Sometimes, inventions become such a part of our daily lives, that we take them for granted.
You will be surprised to know that some of our most basic things were actually designed by NASA for the use of astronauts.
Shocked? Surprised. Here are some examples –
Wireless headphones: these were invented for the use of astronauts so that they could communicate with their teams without having to hold an instrument – in a hands-free way.
Today, we use them all the time.
Camera phones: this was designed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a light, miniature imaging system that required little energy in order to take high-quality photographs from space. Today, we use them to capture everything around us.
Cochlear implants: Adam Kissiah took 3 years to invent the hearing aid. He was then officially initiated into the Space Foundation’s US Space Technology Hall of Fame for his invention in the year 2003.
LASIK: This technology was used to track astronauts’ eyes during their time spent in space and evaluate how weightlessness directly affected humans.
Computer mouse: The mouse was invented jointly by NASA and the University of Stanford, to allow astronauts to have an increased interaction with onboard computers.
Artificial limbs: The innovations that were formerly designed for space vehicles led to creating artificial limbs.
Insulin pump: this was invented to monitor astronauts’ vital signs in space. Today it is used as a life-saving device for diabetes.
Fortified baby formula: In the course of developing life support for Mars missions, NASA-funded researchers discovered a natural source for an omega-3 fatty acid previously found only in breast milk. The ingredient has since been added to more than 90% of infant formula worldwide and is helping babies develop healthy brains, eyes, and hearts.
Water purifier: Ensuring that astronauts have potable drinking water during their space missions, has always been a constant struggle for NASA scientists. The water purifier came out of such endeavours.
CAT scans: Another contribution to the world of medicine by space travels is the CAT scan. The technology was devised by NASA to recreate images of the moon during the Apollo missions.
Workout machines: Similar machines were created by NASA to improve physical fitness of astronauts.