EDGE newsletters contain brief descriptions of research activities and discoveries at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and provides links to researchers, centers, and sources of additional information.

Affordable, detachable power for wheelchairs

Rigid-frame power wheelchairs are heavy, expensive, and must be transported in a van equipped with a lift. So, John G. Casali, professor and head of industrial systems engineering, has invented a lightweight power-drive attachment that can be temporarily fitted to the frame of any standard folding wheelchair, adding both motive power and steering capability. The invention can be sold commercially for much less than a rigid frame power chair.

The unit is in a slender vertical column designed to be attached by a seated user to the front frame of the wheelchair with quick-connect fittings. A 12-V battery powers a single DC electric motor.

The attachment allows 360 degrees of steering control with a straightforward tiller column, and can turn a chair within its own length. The user can enter and exit the chair and the chair can be operated manually with the power unit attached. The power attachment can fit in the front seat of most cars, and a manual folding chair is typically stored behind the driver’s seat.

Reviews by users and rehabilitation engineers indicate the unit is impressive in its simplicity of design and the ease with which it can be attached by non-ambulant users.

Contact John Casali at 540-231-9081.

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Improving food security

Proper management of food resources will provide families with food security and adequate nutrition. So, Virginia Cooperative Extension agents taught a total of 18,594 families participating in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) about recommended practices related to meal planning, food buying, food storage, and management of food resources.

Of the 5,712 homemakers who completed the program, 87 percent improved their food security by adopting practices such as budgeting to allot adequate resources for food, planning meals ahead, using a grocery list, checking food labels for best nutrition, comparing prices for best buys, and storing food properly. Forty-one percent of participants reported they less frequently ran out of food at the end of the month, and 85 percent reported they more frequently compare food prices and use grocery lists to help them manage their food resources.

A statewide cost-benefit analysis of the EFNEP, conducted by researchers in Human Nutrition and Foods at Virginia Tech, evaluated the impact of nutrition education on potential health care costs. Proper nutrition is a key factor in avoiding several diet-related chronic diseases. Based on the cost-benefit analysis, every $1 spent for EFNEP implementation saves $10.64 on future health care costs.

Contact for more information: Ruby Cox, 540-231-7156.

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