Michigan

Problem Solved! MSU Design Day assists another Michigan AgrAbility client and family! The MSU College of Engineering celebrates the achievements of its students by hosting Design Day at the end of each semester, where student teams exhibit their design projects and compete for awards. All ten of the MSU engineering academic programs are represented at Design Day, including freshmen through senior level classes. Each semester, Michigan AgrAbility proposes a project to assist its clients. The spring 2020 submittal: devising a solution to manually move logs for an AgrAbility client who relies on a wood furnace for heating his home during the winter months. The ME 481 Mechanical Engineering Design Project team of Marcell Benkes-Toth, Taylor Jacobs, Jurtis Potier, Helen Miller, and Jacob Sicelsteel, advised by Michigan AgrAbility's Ned Stoller, devised a log trough capable of accommodating logs ranging from three to twenty-eight inches in diameter and ten to twelve feet in length. The team designed a mechanism that can move the log forward and backward and allows the log to be clamped and cut as desired. By hydraulically assisting the movement of the log, the amount of physical labor required to perform this important task was significantly reduced.

Problem Solved! Another MSU Design Day project was highlighted on the Michigan AgrAbility Facebook page. In Fall 2019, the design team of Zach Kraut, Danny McGrail, Patrick Floyd, Will Hahm and August Butzke, advised by Ned, developed a low-cost solution for Lou Visser to assist in raising his large overhead door.Lou's left arm is amputated below the elbow, making it difficult to raise the door. The team designed and installed a door opener that consisted of a pulley and bracket system powered by an electric cable winch. The motor made the door move too fast, so Lou began to just pull the chain with his one arm to open and close the door. Since the chain hoist reduced the lifting weight of overhead doors, this was much better than lifting the door directly; but when the chain was hanging loosely, it swung away from Lou's right hand. To solve that problem, Michigan AgrAbility helped him with a $50 chain tensioner that was installed at the bottom of the chain to keep it from swinging, but still allow it to move up and down as it is pulled by hand. The tensioner also comes with a chain latch so the door can be locked in position at any point. Lou can now open and close his door very easily without excess strain to his arm and back.

Greg Gieske is blind and has made many of his own accommodations to allow him to continue to farm. Michigan AgrAbility has also provided assistive technology to enable him to farm with less pain - specifically in the area of weed control for his plants. Prior to working with Michigan AgrAbility, Greg had to crawl on his hands and knees to pull weeds by hand. In the past, Greg's tomato plants were not supported, and they spread on the ground. Now, Greg wraps twine around the plant and secures it to wooden stakes to support upward growth, not only making it easier to control weeds but also for harvesting to support the plants. Michigan AgrAbility also helped to solve the problem of weed control: Greg now uses a dome sprayer by feel to spray weeds rather than crawling on his hands and knees to pull the weeds by hand.

With summer's heat comes the chance of overheating! There is a way to cool off (besides not working...LOL). Consider the type of clothing worn... did you know there are evaporative cooling hats, dew rags, neckwear, bandanas, shirts.... You name it, it is most likely available, often for a price lower than one might think. These items are worth considering to help stay cool in the summer heat.

Submitted by Deb Chester