Washington Heights

Engineers at the University of Washington have developed a tiny robot capable of precisely controlling how high it jumps. The advance could matter for applications requiring navigation over uneven terrain, such as search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring or inspection in confined spaces. Robotics researchers and technology observers are taking note of the precise jump-height control, a difficult capability to engineer at small scale.

A man in Washington Heights, Manhattan, has spent 100 days cleaning one city block every day, and his effort has drawn neighbors to pick up brooms and join him. The grassroots cleanup has become a talking point in the neighborhood, with residents praising the simple, consistent act of improving their streets and describing how a solo project grew into a collective effort.