CAMBRIDGE, MA—Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an army of tiny robots that can assemble large lattice structures, such as aircraft fuselages or wings.

Aircraft wings have been assembled the same way for decades. But, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NASA have developed a flexible aerostructure that is produced from hundreds of tiny, identical pieces using composite lattice-based cellular materials.

Ever since the Wright Brothers first took to the sky 115 years ago, powered flight has depended on propellers and other components. But, a team of aerospace engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a silent, lightweight aircraft with no moving parts.

Most major cities in the world are located on or near a major body of water, either a coast, a large lake or a river. That's because they originated as water-borne trading posts centuries ago.