Design
Engineers develop squishy robots designed to aid rescue in disaster areas
From mowing lawns and cleaning windows to lending a hand to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, robots are being designed to do an ever-expanding set of tasks. Now, Squishy Robotics, a Berkeley-based startup, has come up with squishy shape-shifting, sensory robots, with potential Read More...
Why countries around the world are building highway overpasses just for animals
Highways are disastrous for the environment. These wide, dangerous roadways can cut wildlife from the resources they need to thrive, causing them to make the perilous journey from one side to the other. Countless animals have become roadkill as a result, not to mention the many drivers who have Read More...
Lego is making bricks that teach blind students how to read Braille
In one of the newest Lego sets under development, the bumps that hold the toys together have a second purpose: They also help children learn Braille. The series of dots on each brick represents a different letter of the Braille alphabet, the numbers zero through nine, and a handful of math symbols. Read More...
New Adidas sneaker can be recycled into a new sneaker—without any waste
When Adidas presented a new model of running shoes made out of ocean plastic last year, it felt more like a marketing gimmick rather than an actual attempt at addressing the problem of waste in the fashion industry. This time around, Adidas has introduced a new sneaker that could actually Read More...
Singapore just built an airport with an indoor jungle and a wonderful waterfall
When it comes to airports, some of the first things that usually come to mind are the interminable queues, the dull hours before take-off, the boring shopping or the long walks to the departure gate. But step inside Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore and those negative connotations that come with Read More...
Thanks to amazing 3D scans, Notre Dame can be rebuilt almost exactly as it was
The world watched in horror Monday night while flames tore through the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. As the fire consumed the roof and toppled its iconic central spire, it seemed as though the historic church could be lost forever — but it’s possible, thanks to cutting-edge imagining Read More...
This stylish cafe is made almost entirely out of cardboard
Lowering the environmental impact of the construction industry means finding new materials to build with. In India, an architecture studio turned to an unlikely material to build a beautiful cafe: cardboard. Apart from the core, shell, and appliances in the cafe, everything has been made from Read More...
A Kenyan company is making sustainable clothes out of stinging nettles
The stinging nettle is a weedy, invasive species of plant that spreads like wildfire once it gets a foothold anywhere. The plant can be used for medicinal reasons, but in truth, there are more pesky nettles on the planet than anyone could possibly make use of. At least, so it seemed. Soon enough Read More...
Lessons from a German neighborhood that got rid of parking spaces 20 years ago
You don’t need a car to live your daily life. Don’t believe us? Just ask the residents of Vauban, a neighborhood in the German city of Freiburg. In Vauban, cars are allowed, but only if they crawl along at the pace of a pedestrian (the speed limit is three miles an hour), give priority to Read More...
IKEA develops state-of the-art curtains that purify the air in your home
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is one of the biggest environmental health risks on the planet, leading to millions of deaths annually. The problem is more alarming for those us living in cities, so much so that air-purifiers are expected to become a household Read More...