What goes up must come down, they say, and the axiom holds true for technology. Many sky-high aerospace innovations have translated into on-the-ground improvements for our cars and trucks, including everyday features such as anti-lock brakes and GPS navigation.
Several other emerging technologies involving energy production, navigation and safety owe their existence in part to aerospace investment as well.
One example is thermoelectric generators. As their name implies, these units make electricity from heat.
The tech has powered space probes since the 1960s, although the heat that feeds their thermoelectric generators comes not from the combustion of fossil fuels but from the decay of radioactive elements.
A hot new source of electricity Now carmakers are looking to recoup some of an auto's waste heat and put it to good use. A number of manufacturers, including BMW and GM, are developing thermoelectric generators as part of a vehicle's exhaust system.
The hope is to cut overall fuel consumption 5 percent to 10 percent by offsetting some of the energy needed for powering onboard electronics.
Prototypes of the heat-scavenging devices already have been tested and they could become commonplace this decade.
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