Author: Emily Gautreaux

LSU Professors Designing Construction Exoskeletons

Two Louisiana State University professors are partnering with Rutgers University to develop wearable exoskeletons to be used by the construction industry in an effort to decrease work site injuries, an LSU press release reported.

The professors teaming up with Rutgers University to create this integrated, multidisciplinary approach to workplace safety and efficiency are LSU Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator Chao Wang and LSU Professor of Industrial Engineering Fereydoun Aghazadeh. Along with Rutgers, Wang and Aghazadeh recently received a $150,000 planning grant from the National Science Foundation, giving them a year to create a team of researchers ready to compete for a $3 million research grant in March.

This planning grant was awarded to the LSU professors as a part of the NSF’s 10 Big Ideas- Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF) program to develop exoskeletons, and as of now LSU’s team is in good standing to be awarded the spring research grant, as there are few construction companies that have actually adopted any type of exoskeleton technology.

The FW-HTF project’s three goals are to “develop lightweight, flexible, high-performance, personalized wearable exoskeletons for construction workers; develop machine learning-based human skill modeling and training in construction; and initiate new cross-disciplinary collaboration and foster engagement with industry partners and stakeholders.”

Wang, who is serving as this project’s principal investigator has found that there are a few exoskeleton products currently available on the market, but they mainly target manufacturing and industrial settings, commenting that because of a construction site’s dynamic and complicated setting, the concept of introducing an exoskeleton is quite new.

Though, the concept is seen as heavily-needed by many wanting to mitigate work site accidents. According to OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, one in 10 construction site workers are injured each year and 21%of worker fatalities are in construction. Aghazadeh attributes construction injuries to three primary reasons: “Number one, they are tired. Number two, the task is beyond their capacity. Number three, they are not properly trained. If they don’t have the capacity to do the physical work, how can we enhance their physical capability? We can give them more power. This project is all about that.”

The LSU professors, Wang and Aghazadeh will study the individual tasks performed by each crew member on a construction project in order to develop and train a single exoskeleton to perform different construction tasks. They will also determine how much power should be given to the exoskeleton and whether to focus its support on the upper or lower area of the body.

The fact that the utilization of exoskeletons in a construction environment is a near-foreign concept is attributed to the quantity of tasks performed by your average construction worker, such as climbing stairs, walking, squatting, and reaching. These foundational tasks are a lot to teach an exoskeleton when compared to an exoskeleton used in a manufacturing facility that completes one task, albeit 1000 in a day.

Therefore, the challenge for Wang and Aghazadeh will be to design an exoskeleton intelligent enough to recognize what tasks its construction worker is engaged in, adjust its power level accordingly, and alter its control strategy to most-effectively assist with the work.

It’s not just the efficiency or safety of the work that will be benefited by the addition of construction exoskeletons but the longevity of the worker as well. The team’s motivation for their project originated from the workforce shortage in the United States, where there are an abundance of construction jobs but not enough workers with many retiring due to injury.

Wang expresses the project’s hopes- saying, “With the help of robotics, these older workers can still perform. That way, when younger workers come in, they can learn from the older, more experienced workers who have more knowledge that can be passed on. The idea down the line is that anyone can buy this in a Home Depot or Lowe’s, and they’ll come in different sizes. We want one product that can be smart enough to fit anyone with different tasks.”

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The Idyllic Homemade Tomato Soup

After a brisk, challenging day it’s always nice to come home to the simplicity of homemade tomato soup, this easy-to-follow recipe from Pinch of Yum, does just the trick.

The falling leaves of Autumn brings along the sometimes uncontrollable urge to enjoy a hearty soup, and there’s none heartier than the creamy, acidity of a well-prepared Tomato soup. Luckily, this recipe has you using various kitchen staples that are easily-acquired and often found in the average kitchen, such as whole tomatoes, onion, dried thyme and garlic. Though, for a truly wonderful soup pot, it’s suggested that you use fresh bay leaf and cream for a truly rich texture and flavor profile.

This dish is both smoky and sweet, while also being just as creamy as you and your table guests like, all while taking less than an hour to prepare, and a bulk of that cooking time is passive with you either gazing with affection at a pot of simmering tomatoes or preparing a main or side dish on a nearby burner. 

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces

2 chopped carrots

½  chopped yellow onion

4 cloves minced garlic

1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon flour

4 cups chicken broth

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt

Fresh cream (optional, though delicious)

Directions 

  • Begin by frying the bacon in a large soup pot over medium-low heat until the bacon begins to get crispy and browned, totalling around 5-8 minutes.
  • After the bacon is browned, add in your carrots, onion, and garlic into the pot, sautéing for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and aromatic. Be sure to scrape up the browned edges of bacon from the bottom of the soup pot while you sauté for additional flavor.
  • Once your bacon and veggies are tender, add in your tomato paste, stirring the mixture for a few minutes until you begin to smell and see the paste beginning to brown and caramelize. Once this is noticed, add flour and stir for approximately one minute.
  • Pour your tomatoes and the juice into a bowl, crushing them with your hands. The goal is to use tomatoes of higher quality, often found in cans of whole tomatoes, rather than cans with pre-crushed tomatoes, as they are made from bits and pieces of lower quality tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use a subtle kitchen utensil or gloves to assist you in tomato-crushing.
  • Then, add your crushed tomatoes, broth, thyme, and bay leaf to the soup pot, simmering for 30 minutes. Puree batches of your combined soup and return it all to the pot to cook on low, adding salt to your preference.
  • For added flavor, add in your cream, and serve alongside toasted bread, crackers, or simply a spoon.

In fact, the best pairings for a bowl of this soup are those basking in starch, seasoning, and cheese, such asProvolone toast, a grilled cheese sandwich, or grilled sourdough bread– all of which are great, breaded vessels for soup-dunking. Though,  those wanting a side dish with fiber in addition to organic greens, maybe whip up one of the following side dishes:

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Charming Parklets Begin to Populate in NOLA

A handful of restaurants in downtown New Orleans are making the most out of the challenges brought by the pandemic by transforming parking lanes into stylish, outdoor seating (parklets), reports a nola.com feature.

These “parklets” or mini-restaurant patios have been rising in popularity long before the restrictions placed back in March, as they allow for a quaint, atmospheric extension of traditional restaurant seating that’s ideal for the spacing needed to continue to serve with the city’s phase-dependent restrictions.

One such restaurant in the downtown area is the Pythian Market with its variety of vendors serving various flavors in dishes ranging from poke bowls to fried chicken. This classic Crescent City food hall now acts similar to an outdoor mall food court, albeit with more sophistication, in that a customer can order from their preferred vendor and enjoy their meal in the new dining area built across the parking lane. Not only does this add more outdoor seating, but the visibility of the dishes, food hall, and enjoyment of the dishes by the customer base is boosted to those passing by.

Set outside the food hall’s doors between deactivated parking meters are burly traffic barriers, designating the space where patrons may enjoy their poboys and wood-fire pizza under a charming collection of string lights and umbrellas. These parklets, a term coined by urban planning etymology, offer a glimpse into a trend that could l soon be much more popular around New Orleans, as these curbside patios are part of grants introduced by NOLA Outdoor Dining to assist restaurants during the pandemic.

This program that clearly recognizes the immense value of New Orleans’ restaurant scene allows for restaurants and bars to apply for Outdoor Dining Grants that expand outdoor seating with the addition of sidewalk cafés, courtyards, and off-street parking dining areas at restaurants. When this idea was first revealed, the city’s director of economic development, Jeff Schwartz said that the aim of the $100,000 allotted for Phase Two’s grants was to use the public right of way to make the city’s business framework more versatile and pedestrian-friendly as well as asiss businesses immediately.

Michael DePaolo, the managing director at Pythian Market said of the recent additions, “we’ve seen how people gravitate to our sidewalk seating, and we think this will add to it. We really want to provide an environment where people feel as safe as possible to come out and enjoy what our vendors are doing here.”

While parklets are already quite common in other cities, especially those overseas, New Orleans’ parklet concept has become somewhat of a symbol of the types of creative adaptations taken by a city during the pandemic. The effort to expand outdoor seating in the city is beginning in strategic stages, beginning in the Central Business District with restaurants like Pythian Market, Juan’s Flying Burrito, the Ruby Slipper Cafe, and Fourth Wall Coffee being among the first to benefit.

Co-founder of the Ruby Slipper, Jennifer Weishaupt, was eager to volunteer her cafe to help pilot the program, as she’s seen pallets used in great success in other cities when traveling this past summer. After the initial success, Weishaupt is even considering adding another parklet at another Ruby Slipper location up the street in the Irish Channel, saying, “we’ve seen that there’s exceptionally high demand for outdoor seating. It’s where a lot of people feel most comfortable.”

Part of what makes the effort so successful is the coming together of various New Orleans leaders, business owners, officials, and organizations like the Downtown Development District, who has been working alongside the city to loan out planter boxes, lights, and other furnishings to make the pivot comfortable and unique to the traditional New Orleans style.

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Tips for Exploring a City When Traveling Alone

While it can be quite exhausting to even consider traveling alone, be wary of falling into the pitfall of staying in your hotel room, defaulting into turning your vacation into a staycation all because the brunt of the planning falls on you. Instead, refer to this thoughtful, curated list from Elite Daly of the best things to do when you find yourself alone in a new city with an itch to explore.

Begin by recognizing how much of a leap it is for anyone to venture out on their own to book a solo trip and ride that extroverted spirit to see all the sights that the city has to offer. In order to be successful at seeing, eating, and experiencing the unforgettable, you’ll indeed plan so that your trip can be unmistakably worthwhile.

  1. Take Yourself Out to a Restaurant 

Every city has its toted have-to-try spectacle of nourishing allegiance or remarkable unique hole-in-the-wall that you just have to try for yourself, and with food capitals like New York City, Portland, or New Orleans, an entire trip can be made just for restaurant tours. So, the first thing to do when traveling alone in a new city is to plan our next stop while enjoying a sushi roll or açaí bowl. By diving right in and enjoying a meal in solitude, you allow yourself to find your bearings while taking in the subtle nuances of people-watching and plate-cleaning.

  1. Take Public Transit

Speaking of finding your footing while exploiting when traveling along, there’s no better way to learn a city’s population, geography, and efficiency than hopping on the subway, train, or clean-energy bus transportation. While there are plenty of benefits to following a traditional paper map or holding your palm to your ear to follow the cues of a speakerbox, consider a smartphone app or realy taking care to pay attention to metro and municipal bike paths when traveling from appointment to new experience, that way your trip is as efficient as it is fulfilling.

  1. Visit the Local Planetarium
    Usually set in a dome that favors revered silence over group discussion, local observatories and planetariums are a great way to spend an afternoon in memorizing awe of the oft-too missed stars above our heads. Take in a constellation, light show, or simply an electric view of the night’s sky in an indoor experience that allows you to take things at your own, measured pace. PAy attention to what matters most to you, not those in your party, as your interests are the only ones that matter when you’re face-to-face with astrological markings in sight of a majestic viewing stage, such as the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
  2. Take a Drive Out to Nature

Yes you traveled to a new city for a specific reason, but if you can find the time in an afternoon to rent a car and take in the unique offerings of the surrounding geography, please do so! Every city will have a heralded restaurant, science center, and have-to-see event, but it’s in nature and the outdoors of a nearby coastal town or national park where you’ll truly find the unmissable sights you crave. Make an effort to find the time to visit nearby waves, waterfalls, and wondrous sights that are just a few minutes’ drive away from the bustling metropolis of your hotel receipt.

  1. Join a Sightseeing Tour

There’s something to be said about a gathering of people opting to be a part of a collective that wants to do a very “touristy” thing, so why not embrace it? It must be popular for a reason right? When traveling along, consider booking a ticket, grabbing a camera, and getting a first-hand treat of learning all about the most iconic landmarks, urban legends, and sightseeing treasures that you’ll undoubtedly be asked about once back home.

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Tulane Introduces Louisiana Promise Program

Louisiana high school students attending Tulane University next year from low and middle-income families will be doing so without the burden of student loans, with the introduction of the Louisiana Promise Program, as reported by Article from WWLTV.   

These students admitted to Tulane as full-time freshmen will be meeting the school’s “full financial need,” a program with an income threshold of $100,000 in adjusted gross income. However, this is not simply to say that Tulane University, the New Orleans-area private research institution, will be giving each freshman who meets the threshold a “full ride.” Instead, this achievement traditionally means that the families of those qualifying will only pay the amount determined by FAFSA, the Free Application For Federal Student Aid.

The amount that families of those applying will be expected to pay is determined by the family’s income, as each year families fill out the FAFSA, listing their adjusted gross income, obligations, and assets. A formula determines the amount that a family can afford to pay toward a college tuition, with the cost being as low as $0 in some cases.

However, starting with next year’s incoming class, these families will be paying toward their freshman’s education without applying for or taking out student loans, which many in the state rely upon.

Louisiana Promise No Loan Assistance Scholarship is the name of Tulane University’s comprehensive plan to make higher education institutions more accessible to all Louisiana students. In addition to the financial aid commitment, the initiative also establishes a new college prep center in New Orleans as well as access to Pre-College Summer Programs. Said programs provide 50 full scholarships to select students who have been nominated by a counselor, teacher, or community-based organization to attend the two-week residential program.

Applicants to the Louisiana Promise program need only be Louisiana residents who have graduated from a Louisiana high school and whose families make less than $100,000 a year. Those applying will have to first be admitted as a first-time, full-time freshman for a Fall Semester, beginning in Fall 2021, and they’ll need to qualify for Tulane need-based Scholarships by April 15th.

In addition to the scholarship aspects of the program, Tulane University is also expanding its reach in the New Orleans metro area by establishing a new college prep center aimed at engaging first-generation students as well as those who have been underrepresented, never considering attending Tulane or other selective universities as a viable option for them.

This center will run a free program directed at teaching students about the college application process, navigating the financial aid process, and preparing students to take standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT. The center will also educate interested parents about the university application process while connecting them to other families who are new to the process and well-versed in what is required.

Highlighting the program’s mission, Tulane President Michael Fitts said, “Louisiana Promise is a commitment to our state and community to make higher education more accessible, if a Louisiana student’s dream is to come to Tulane, we don’t want financial concerns to be a barrier for them to become a part of the Tulane family. These programs will help keep the state’s best and brightest students in Louisiana.”

As only 11 percent of all Tulane undergraduate students come from Louisiana, the program is also an effort to raise that number by expanding the school’s reach to new demographics.

New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell celebrated this effort made by Tulane to bridge the gap between the University and low income Louisiana students by saying, “I want to applaud Tulane University for its launch of the Louisiana Promise program, which will create pathways for Louisiana high school students to attend Tulane. This builds upon their investment that I have the honor of committing to through the Mayoral Scholarship program.”

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Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey with Crisp-Skin & Gravy

The act of cooking a turkey is quite intimidating, but there’s always a reliable solution to be found in the art of spatchcocking, as fully outlined in this recipe from SeriousEats.  A spatchcocked roasted turkey ensures that both the white and dark meat are cooked evenly, the skin is delightfully crispy, and the entire operation is finished rather quickly, much to the delight of any nearby salivating dinner guests.

Spatchcocking is the traditional method of removing a turkey’s backbone in order to flatten its body before cooking it in the oven. This flatter shape ensures that the meat is cooking more evenly and more quickly, allowing the legs to reach a safe eating temperature without sacrificing the integrity of the breast by overcooking it. This method is an easy, reliable avenue to take if you want to impress your family with the juicy, moist turkey meat that lies beneath an incredibly crisp skin.

Ingredients for Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey:

  • 3 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 12 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 whole turkey (12-14 lbs), butterflied while preserving the backbone, neck, and giblets
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ quarts low-sodium homemade (or store-bought) chicken or turkey broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour

Directions for Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey:

  1. Begin the process by adjusting the oven rack to the middle position as it preheats to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan with aluminum foil and scatter about two-thirds of your onions, carrots, celery, and thyme sprigs across the pan’s bottom. Place the slotted broiler rack or wire rack directly on top of the vegetables.
  2. After patting the turkey dry with paper towels, rub all surfaces with 1 tablespoon oil and season it liberally on all sides with salt and black pepper. Tuck the turkey’s wings behind the back, and place the bird on top of the rack, arranging it so that it doesn’t overlap the edges. Then, press down on the breast bone to flatten the breasts slightly.
  3. Transfer the turkey to the oven and roast, rotating it occasionally until an instant-read thermometer registers at 150°F in the deepest part of the breast, and the thighs register at at least 165°F, all together about 80 minutes.
  4. While the turkey is roasting, make the gravy by roughly chopping the neck, backbone, and giblets. Heat your remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 3 quart saucepan over high heat until it’s shimmering, then add the chopped turkey parts, and cook it while stirring occasionally. When it’s lightly-browned, after about 5 minutes, add your remaining onions, carrots, and celery, continuing to cook until the vegetables start to soften and brown in spots. After about five minutes, add your chicken stock and remaining thyme and bay leaves, bringing it all to a boil and reducing it to a bare simmer. Allow this to cook for about 45 minutes, wherein you’ll strain it all through a fine mesh strainer into a 2 quart liquid measuring cup. Discard any solids and skim off any noticeable fat from the broth’s surface.
  5. Melt your butter over medium-high heat in a 2 quart saucepan, add flour, and cook it, stirring until the flour is golden brown (about 3 minutes). Constantly whisking, add your broth in a thin, steady stream until it’s all incorporated, then bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until it’s all reduced to about 1 quart. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover it up, keeping your finished gravy warm.
  6. Once the turkey is cooked and removed from the oven, transfer it to a new baking sheet, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before you carve it. Carefully pour any collected juices through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, skimming off excess fat and whisk it into your gravy.
  7. Carve your turkey, serve it alongside your gravy, and enjoy!

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