Mechanical engineers at UC San Diego have invented a robot designed to scoot along utility lines, searching for damage and other problems that require repairs. Made of off-the-shelf electronics and plastic parts printed on an inexpensive 3D printer, the SkySweeper prototype could be scaled up for less than $1,000, making it significantly more economical than the two models of robots currently used to inspect power lines. Full story: http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=1352