Time magazine cited the Robo-Lobster, created by associate biology professor Joseph Ayers, as one of the “coolest inventions” of 2003. The eight-pound, two-foot-long plastic crustacean—developed for the U.S. Navy in conjunction with Don Massa, of Hingham-based Massa Products—can detect and destroy mines buried under coastal waters.

Still in prototype phase, the Robo-Lobster acts like the real thing: Its antennae sense obstacles, its legs can propel it in any direction, and its claws and tail stabilize it in turbulent water. Ayers says a lobsterlike device is perfect for underwater mine detection because “the lobster is very good at swimming in [an ocean] environment; they’ve been doing it for millions of years.”

Chemistry professor earns distinction

Associate chemistry professor Patricia Mabrouk has been named Massachusetts Professor of the Year for 2003 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. A graduate of Wellesley College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Northeastern professor since 1990, Mabrouk describes herself as “passionate about education and my role as an educator.”

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