The future is what people make of it
Technology often seems to come out of nowhere. Probably the best example for most people can be found with smartphones. The technology changed the world within about a year of release. But what people often don’t realize is that smartphones really didn’t bring anything totally new to the table. It was a refinement of technologies currently on the market. In some ways, it was even a step back for a few technologies. The main difference is that the touchscreen was far higher quality than people were used to. PDA technology had matched smartphones in most other ways by that point. That one single technology was enough to elevate a current idea into a world changing and fortune making device. This is a long way of saying that one can predict breakthroughs by looking at newly available components. When items that were prohibitive to use or make come into more efficient production than innovation is always going to happen. At the moment, the best example of this advance is in the field of optical design.
How to change the world with optics
Recent advances have made optical components easier to manufacture and ship to anywhere in the world. What makes it even more amazing for developers is the fact that the components can be customized as needed. Someone who wants an IR lens to work within very specific specs can simply note that within the order. And of course that goes for any other type of lens as well. A few clicks and a lens can go from an idea to a reality. The pricing is also well within the budget of most hobbyists. All together this means that anyone can order custom optics to use in their tech projects. And in doing so they just might be able to create the next world changing technology.