Future scales may use a different technology where the force restoration load cell is replaced by some sort of a high speed load sensor. Perhaps even the Roberval structure itself will be replaced or eliminated, thereby simplifying the mechanism.

Quite often significant changes in weighing technology are the result of significant advances in some other field. It may be in electronics where a new type of analog to digital converter has such high speeds and accuracy that a taut band whose resonant frequency changes as load is applied increasing the tensile force in the band. The new analog to digital converter has such high resolution and speed that the load can be measured to 1 part in 100,000 in less than 1 second and with a linearity of +/- .002%.

The change may come in metallurgy where a new magnet with 100 times the highest residual flux of present magnets becomes available. It also exhibits very low hysterisis and high linearity. It also is very low cost. Bingo, new lab scale. Both of these things are likely to happen at some time in the future. What we don’t know is when.