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A smoother rideWe think a shifty substance can patch potholes.


A smoother ride

Potholes: the road warrior’s worst enemy. A nice, even avenue suddenly opens to an abyss, sucking a car’s tires into it. Whether the result is a bumpy ride or a broken axle, the dips and divots always annoy—and cost loads to repair.

Rather than curse these road chasms, Case Western Reserve students invented a new solution that has the potential to turn the hot and smelly work of pothole patching into an effort as easy as stuffing a pillow.

The students pour a secret recipe into a waterproof bag and place it in a pothole. The material behaves like a liquid until pressure’s applied, then hardens.

Their project-turned-product, Hole Patch, has won design contests, more than $40,000 in grant and prize money and the interest of investors around the world. The student inventors hope to see the solution smoothing city streets before the end of 2013.

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