A popular approach to designing robots that can navigate a world built for living creatures is to simply copy Mother Nature’s designs. But while trying to improve how a six-legged robot walks, researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne actually found a faster way for six-legged creatures to get around.
All the sensors, servos, and motors that allow humanoid robots like ATLAS to walk on two feet require a lot of battery power—so much so that they’re still impractical for real-world applications. But by more closely replicating a human’s gait—at least one with lots of swagger—Georgia Tech’s DURUS requires far less…
Over the weekend, my social media feeds were draped in neon orange as the world exuberantly shared the first photos of Christo’s latest work, The Floating Piers, a 1.8-mile walkway across an Italian lake. It is easily the artist’s most ambitious piece from an engineering perspective—and one that actually adds value to…
After years of decline, the number of deaths on American streets are starting to rise again, a troubling statistic for many cities that are working hard to get more people walking and biking. Now Los Angeles’s Department of Transportation (LADOT) is trying something new: Enlisting a sound artist to bring attention to…
The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue is among the world’s most famous—you’ve seen it broadcast every year on the Oscars as the start of the red carpet. But like most celebrities, the tourist-thronged Los Angeles landmark had a very dark secret: It was known as one of the most dangerous…
Los Angeles is a special place, geologically speaking: It’s one of a handful of large metropolitan areas that’s bifurcated by mountains. Not just a few big hills—an actual mountain range named the Santa Monica Mountains runs east to west across much of the city—and this week, a 67-mile trail connecting the peaks of…
April 22 is Car Free Day in New York City, which is kind of like having a day that celebrates breathing. In a place where 54 percent of the city commutes using public transit and about half of the residents don’t have cars at all, you’d think it would be pretty easy for anyone to give up cars for a single day. Mayor…
Pedestrian shaming has long been a way for cities to prioritize cars over people, from the invention of jaywalking to blaming walkers for their smartphone use. In Toronto, an ad campaign telling pedestrians that their clothes make them more likely to get hit by cars is getting serious backlash—and rightly so.
On last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, Morgan Freeman was asked to narrate live footage of tourists on Hollywood Boulevard. As one might assume, some of them are holding selfie sticks.
In December of 2015, 195 countries announced that even a global effort to reduce emissions probably won’t prevent the catastrophic warming of the planet. But there is a way we can reach our climate goals. It’s not a pledge. It’s not a tax. It’s easier than that. We ban cars.
We know life would be better if we’d get off our butts and walk more. But when??? This map shows the health opportunities hidden in plain sight by mapping the calories hypothetically burned if we’d ditch the subway/Uber/hoverboard and walk.
There was a frightening message waiting for many Angelenos last Friday as they fired up Waze for their evening commute. Two freeways were closed—one covered in a mudslide—and for many, the app warned of drive times that were doubled or more. The entire city of LA simultaneously canceled its dinner plans.
Last week, Paris shooed cars from its downtown for a single photogenic day. Now a neighborhood in Johannesburg, South Africa is one-upping that car-free day with a celebration that kicks cars off the street for the entire month of October.
Since 1996 Amber Alerts have been used to tell drivers to watch for cars associated with child abductions. But Amber Alerts are relatively rare (thankfully), so in the best possible use of the system the rest of the time, California is using them to find cars involved in hit-and-run crashes.
Every few years, the US Surgeon General issues a recommendation for the country, like encouraging Americans to use sunblock or breastfeed their kids. These are usually public health no-brainers, where the science has determined that Americans would absolutely be better off if they all followed this medical advice.…
We know we should walk more, we hear it all the time. Don’t sit too much, stand up every once in awhile, stroll around a bit, better yet, take all your meetings on foot. But not all walks are created equal. It turns out where we walk matters, and a natural setting can not only provide physical benefits but also do…
Most American streets are far too wide, which uses up valuable urban space, is dangerous for pedestrians, and actually makes traffic worse. That’s why many cities are trying to hand over more street space to transit, biking and walking. But what if we took the lanes devoted to cars and turned it into housing? It…
Summer is coming, which reminds me of my two favorite warm-weather activities: day drinking and drinking during the day. But climbing on the couch with a case of Miller High Life is no way to spend a sunny afternoon. Why not combine your urge to imbibe with the spirit of urban adventure? Here are my time-tested tips…
