A New Worm-Shaped Robot Can Unclog Pipes

GE Research recently unveiled the Pipe-worm, a long, soft-bodied robot that can clean and even repair pipes. Inspired by the movement of earthworms and the in-the-dark navigation of cockroaches, the Pipe-worm is an autonomous, flexible device. It uses air or oil pressure to expand and contract artificial muscles to generate movement. To know where to go (and even generate a map), two antennae bolstered by …

Burkinabè Architect Francis Kéré Wins the Pritzker Prize

Diébédo Francis Kéré, founder of the Berlin-based practice Kéré Architecture, has become the first Black individual to win the field’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize. Hailing from the remote village of Gando in Burkina Faso, Kéré won a scholarship to study woodwork in Germany before transitioning to architecture at the Technical University of Berlin. His career began upon his return to Burkina Faso, when he …

A Mattress Recycling Program Fosters At-Risk Youth

Founded by Greg Croteau, the Massachusetts-based, non-profit UTEC aims to rescue young adults facing gang violence, with criminal records or in poverty, while simultaneously recycling mattresses. To do this, UTEC recruits a youth workforce (where 83% have a criminal record, 76% were in a gang and 68% don’t have high school degrees) to break down mattresses and salvage reusable raw materials to give to hotels, …