Seven common items were originally invented for military use

The difficulties of wartime led to the birth of many items. After the war, some inventions of that time became common everyday objects in civilian life. Here are seven items originally invented for the military.

The inventions were initially used by the military

Tape

A customer picks up a roll of tape at Virginia Hardware Company on February 13, 2003, in Arlington, Virginia, USA. (Photo: Getty Images).

The popular adhesive tape was first invented during World War II, primarily to seal ammunition, then used to repair equipment and as temporary tape for the military. Johnson & Johnson's division created a type of rubber tape that adheres to canvas substrates - a fabric that is as waterproof as duck feathers, making this type of tape also known as duct tape.

Store cold and dry

Raspberries are grown, in addition to supplying the fresh fruit market, also for commercial processing into frozen fruit, fruit juice or dried fruit. Traditionally, raspberries were grown as a mid-summer crop, but with new technology, growers and shippers can now benefit year-round. Pictured are freeze dried raspberries. (Source: Wikimedia Commons).

Freeze-drying is a process that removes water from perishable foods, pharmaceuticals, such as fruit or human plasma, to keep them from spoiling or to make them easier to transport. This method was first invented in France more than a hundred years ago, also during World War II, for doctors to transport life-saving plasma.

Microwave oven

Engineer Percy Spencer, who invented the microwave oven.

The microwave oven is now a standard household appliance for heating food, but was actually invented by accident. In 1945, when American engineer Percy Spencer was working near a high-energy vacuum tube (magnetron) - a microwave generator inside a radar, he saw a chocolate bar in his pocket. melt. He then devised a way to encircle the place to trap a high-density electromagnetic field, and observed that it instantly heated any food inside.

EpiPen and auto-injectors

In this illustration is an EpiPen for injecting epinephrine through an injection mechanism for people with severe allergies, manufactured by Mylan Inc. (Photo: Getty Images).

Originally, EpiPen was the brand name of an autoinjector used to inject epinephrine to protect military personnel from nerve agents and chemical weapons. However, auto-injectors have become portable and automatic medicine injection devices used by many people every day around the world to support themselves and their loved ones in emergencies such as asthma.

Canned food

Donated canned foods placed in bins at San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California, USA on November 29, 2017. (Photo: Getty Images).

Canned food has saved many lives throughout its history, from soldiers to students in dormitories. The French first used preserved foods in the early 19th century. By World War II, the US military developed tin cans, which were airtight and more durable than French glass jars. After the war, it was developed as an easy-to-transport way of storing food with a longer shelf life. Canned food is brought into supermarkets, becoming a staple food item, especially ideal during times of crisis like the Covid-19 epidemic.

Sunglasses

Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons).

More than their distinct fashion value, the sunglasses were named Aviator Sunglasses because they were intended for special members of the military. Aviator sunglasses were first contracted by the US military in 1935 for Air Force pilots, designed to protect them from direct sunlight. Its characteristically large lenses are used purely for eye protection. Initially, they were designed by the American ophthalmic company Bausch & Lomb, but now the famous brand is Ray-Ban.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Casio announced the world's first wristwatch with an integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) in January 1999. Casio navigation watches receive transmissions from 27 GPS satellites developed by the US. Data from these satellites can be used to determine any location on Earth. (Photo: Getty Images).

For traveling and navigation, we now depend on our smartphone's GPS navigation almost every day. But few people know that this technology was first created by the US Department of Defense, initially called NAVSTAR GPS. It was first conceived in 1973, with the satellite network becoming publicly accessible in 1996 during the administration of US President Clinton.