Puerto Rico’s Rebuild Starts With Designers and Architects

Since last September—immediately after Hurricane Maria—designers and architects have been working to not only rebuild Puerto Rico, but also to rethink its infrastructure. Many of the some 1,200 homes that lost roofing in the Caño Martin Pena area of Puerto Rico had “informal infrastructure”—in this instance meaning they were built with galvanized metal sheet roofs. Sadly, this is the case in large regions of Puerto Rico, …

Skin-Inspired Robotic Enhancements Animate the Inanimate

Developed by Yale’s Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio for NASA, new robotic skins aim to fit around static options and give them form—and movement. The skins are composed of supple elastic sheets and have sensors and actuators embedded throughout. This is a fascinating development that reflects a tangential robotics market, wherein an enhancement—rather than an independent form—is produced. Further, using more than one skin can lead to increasing complex series …

Lyft Launches Open-Source Design Tool

Most of the world’s largest companies protect their patents, data and design tools at all costs. But, as coding and design careers become increasingly coveted in today’s market, more people are interested in mastering (or at least brushing up on) the tools and techniques of the trade. A handful of larger companies have decided to go open-source with some of their internal tools, and Lyft …