Illustration by Lauren Dowdy

Multitasking and driving don’t mix

For a year, researchers with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
observed the actual daily driving habits of 241 drivers in 100 cars. It was the first such instrumented vehicle study undertaken. While 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of all near-crashes involved the driver looking away from the roadway within three seconds of the onset of the event, the researchers discovered that the most dangerous contributing factor leading to crashes was fatigue. Full article

On the road to Challenge X with 170-proof

With the 2005 leg of Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility successfully completed, mechanical engineering professor Doug Nelson and the Virginia Tech Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) are turning their design for an ethanol-powered SUV into a working vehicle. Nelson and the students are among 17 university teams selected by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors to compete in the three-year Challenge X -- challenging engineering students to develop designs and technology for the next generation of energy-efficient, low-emissions vehicles. Read more

Molecular devices convert water to hydrogen gas

Wonder where the fuel will come from for tomorrow's hydrogen-powered vehicles? In a process sometimes called "artificial photosynthesis," Virginia Tech researchers are developing catalysts that will convert water to hydrogen gas. Read more

GIS used to study West Nile virus in Virginia

The spread of West Nile virus across the United States since 1999 illustrates the potential for mosquito-borne diseases to expand their range into the US and have a significant effect on the population. Virginia Tech assistant professor of geography Korine Kolivras is using her experience in analyzing the 2001-2002 dengue fever outbreak in Hawaii to understand the potential spread of West Nile in Virginia. Through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIs), she delineated areas in Hawaii that provided a habitat for mosquitoes and had the potential for outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases based on temperature, precipitation, land cover, topography, and the presence of populated areas. She is developing a similar risk map for outbreak prevention and control for Virginia. Read about other College of Natural Resources research.

Extreme Safety Corps develops safe system for fast-track construction

Photo courtesy The Wallace Agency of Roanoke, Va.

To make sure ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" construction in Blacksburg, Va., was as safe as it was fast, Virginia Tech's Center for Innovation in Construction Safety and Health developed the Rapid Universal Safety and Health (RUSH) system and 50 faculty members and students served on the "Extreme Safety Corps." Read more

Researchers identify influences in information technology career choices for women

A Virginia Tech team has identified five factors that influence girls' information technology (IT) career choices -- including race, parental support, age when introduced to computers, and positive image of IT. A DVD and guide are available for parents, counselors, teachers, and academic advisors. Read more

Virginia Tech's Institute for Governance and Accountabilities is helping the Arab Civitas provide democracy education in seven Arab nations. Read more

Cognitive radios overcome incompatibilities

After a disaster, like hurricane Katrina, emergency-responders from many jurisdictions converge. But the radio systems used by the different jurisdictions are rarely compatible. Cognitive radio offers a solution. A cognitive radio will configure itself to talk to any other unit that the responder selects. Read more