VIRTUE
Valleybrook Institute for Research on Technology in Underserved Environments
Our vision for the VIRTUE Laboratory is as a unique venue for students, faculty, and community partners to work collaboratively to find practical solutions to the health challenges facing people living in rural and isolated communities.
VIRTUE will seek to find “frugal,” low-cost, scalable solutions to challenges that impact the health and quality of life. Problems like:
- Can we create a child car seat for vehicles that lack seat belts?
- Can we build a hydroponic garden with bicycle power?
- Can we design a low-cost playground for children with disabilities?
- What indigenous crops are best for a pregnant woman (iron) or for a toddler (vitamin A)?
- How can we preserve food without refrigeration?
- How could solar panels help distribute health information and educational opportunities?
Can we work together to identify the least costly investments that can make the greatest difference in the health, welfare, and quality of life of the people who live in a particular low-resource area?
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Doctoral Seminar
COBH 6195 Doctoral Seminar Class
Students in the COBH 6195 Doctoral Seminar Class research real-world challenges and partnership solutions, find answers and develop scalable "frugal" technologies, and seek to create small business opportunities in the developing world where possible.
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RE:CYCLING
"The RE:CYCLING program highlights efforts to solve public health issues using locally available technology.”
Re-engineering: Contributions to Youth Charity and Learning Innovation and New Idea Generation (RE:CYCLING) consists of two parts—refurbishing bicycles for local children and using bicycles to design “machines” that can improve the quality of life in low resource areas.
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Adaptation
Adaptation involves creatively adapting cars, toys and games for children who have
mobility differences.
This work is done in conjunction with two organizations, AdaptoPlay and Go Baby Go.
"Go Baby Go" is a program that provides modified, ride-on cars to young children with disabilities so they can move around independently.
AdaptoPlay is a nonprofit organization of volunteers passionate about helping children who are differently-abled. Play matters because through play children develop imagination, coordination, physical, cognitive, and emotional skills.
“Students not only learn to adapt cars and toys, they work in interprofessional teams and learn community organization and logistical skills," said Dr. Stoots, director of operations for Project EARTH.
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Toys
Students work in small groups to design and build three different toys from basic recycled material (plastic bags, aluminum cans, beverage bottles, etc.) that would encourage healthy play in a refugee camp that has no toys. This is a classic intersection of “need-based” and “product-based” innovation: can students use available products to meet a defined need? Toys need to be easily assembled, safe, sturdy, culturally-relevant, and age-appropriate.