Light-mapping technology is expediting the pace of archaeological discovery in the dense jungles of central Mexico. The latest find could offer clues about how humans advanced agriculturally.
"You can't protect what you can't map," says Patrick Meier. He pioneered the field of crisis mapping during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and now focuses on the use of robotics for humanitarian purposes.
With cameras and smartphones, volunteers in Tanzania are snapping pictures as they cruise the dirt roads of Dar es Salaam, one of Africa's fastest-growing cities.