Though it weighs in at just 80 milligrams, you’ll definitely want this little RoboBee in your corner. Designers Kevin Y. Ma, Robert J. Wood, Pakpong Chirarattananon, and Sawyer B. Fuller at Harvard School of Engineering and Applies Sciences, in collaboration with the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, followed nature as their guide to create...

This valance fragment is just a small piece from a set of bed furnishings commissioned by Napoleon I (1769-1821) for his wife Joséphine (1763-1814). Intended for their home in Malmaison, located outside Paris, the commission consisted of a ceiling canopy, pair of curtains, bed cover and valance. Made of fine point d’Alençon lace by the...

For those concerned with the impact and lifecycle of construction materials, BEES is a new design tool that helps designers and consumers make informed decisions. Construction and manufacturing have a significant effect on the environment. Cooper-Hewitt’s Exhibitions department specifies, purchases, and uses many materials in our exhibits. We strive to be as environmentally sensitive as...

In any given day, we touch or handle thousands of different materials that are fundamental to our daily lives: a clay pot to hold the food for our dinner, a plastic toothbrush to perform our morning regimen, and a wool sweater to keep us warm and protected. Facing a simultaneous decrease in resources and an...