Well sure, but with time prices drop, and with lower prices, you get even unscientific uses.
Flir units were for army use, now you can buy cheap chinese ones (without US export restrictions) for a few $100 in a form of a dongle that you plug into your phone and see what part on your PCB is overheating, or where your house insulation is bad.
Keeping liquids at precise temperature was a thing used in labs, and now you can buy a sous-vide machine for $50.
Even medical stuff, such as blood oxygen meters are at single dollar/euro prices now.
So yeah... it's a circle... if prices go down, more people will find more uses for it. If more people find more uses, more companies will produce them and prices will go down more.
Flir units were for army use, now you can buy cheap chinese ones (without US export restrictions) for a few $100 in a form of a dongle that you plug into your phone and see what part on your PCB is overheating, or where your house insulation is bad.
Keeping liquids at precise temperature was a thing used in labs, and now you can buy a sous-vide machine for $50.
Even medical stuff, such as blood oxygen meters are at single dollar/euro prices now.
So yeah... it's a circle... if prices go down, more people will find more uses for it. If more people find more uses, more companies will produce them and prices will go down more.