One technology I’ve been keeping an eye out for is that of the “localizer”, as described in the novel A Deepness In The Sky, by Vernor Vinge. In “Deepness”, localizers are miniscule devices capable of distributed data processing, inter- and extra-device communication, movement, and environmental sensing. These devices play a key role in the development of societies towards a space-faring culture. Two articles on current research regarding this tech: Berkeley’s Wireless Research Center’s picoradio project, and their smart dust project.