In the 20th Century, military research precipitated many widely used technological innovations. Surveillance satellites enabled the GPS-system, and defence researchers developed the information swapping protocols that are fundamental to the Internet. UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) fall into a similar category. Designed initially for reconnaissance purposes, their para-military and commercial development was often out of sight of the public. - See more at: http://www.nesta.org.uk/drones-history-flying-robots#sthash.StwzNE4r.dpuf