I'm reminded of how the Inca had wheels on their toys but never put them into practical use.
I kind of believe that similar things are happening now with video game tech, GPU mostly happened due to gaming and now benefits a lot of other fields, game engines are now being used in architectural, automotive and video production pipelines. I think there is a lot more to come.
Useful to keep in mind that wheels confined to toys was due some combination of a lack of animals that are good at pulling (llamas aren't great as that) and metal use being primarily confined to decorative purposes (so durable axles unlikely) :)
I kind of believe that similar things are happening now with video game tech, GPU mostly happened due to gaming and now benefits a lot of other fields, game engines are now being used in architectural, automotive and video production pipelines. I think there is a lot more to come.