Human Engineering Research Laboratories

01/29/2026

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have secured a $41.5 million award to reinvent the wheelchair.

The project will use advanced robotic technology to reimagine the wheelchair, incorporating a robotic arm, to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

“We are redesigning everything from the ground up,” said Rory Cooper, director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories at Pitt.

Pitt is the lead university directing the project, but will work with partners at Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Northeastern, Indiana University and Purdue.

Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2025/11/04/pitt-wheelchair-grant/stories/202511040093

01/29/2026

Take action
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01/23/2026

Half the spots are taken❗
Don't miss your chance. Register now!

🔸2026 Keystone Wheelchair Games🔹
Link in bio.

01/20/2026

REGISTER NOW for the 2026 Keystone Wheelchair Games.
Do you have what it takes?
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01/13/2026

Registration is open!
2026 Keystone Wheelchair Games 👩‍🦽
💯Think you got what it takes?
Link in bio.

12/22/2025

Through breakthroughs in AI, sensor fusion, kirigami-inspired design, and cloud computing, Rory A. Cooper, PhD, PLY and his team continue to redefine what’s possible - turning obstacles into opportunities and engineering a future where freedom is for everyone.

10/28/2025

Human Engineering Research Laboratories Director, Rory A. Cooper, announced as a finalist for 2025 U.S. Forces in Business Awards! 🏆

This celebration of military talent honors veterans thriving across the U.S. economy, and showcases aspirational employers for transitioning service members.

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ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴅᴇᴄᴀᴅᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ɪɴɴᴏᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

10/08/2025

Our 2025 Summit brought advocates, airlines, and policymakers together to push for more accessible ✈️🧑‍🦽

From DC policy updates to grassroots advocacy and industry insights, the message was clear: PVA is for and all travelers with disabilities!

Learn more about your rights, travel tips, and our advocacy work: https://pva.org/research-resources/tips-tools-resources/.

10/06/2025

08/14/2025

We had a great time welcoming visitors from the American Society of Biomechanics to our lab yesterday!

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ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴅᴇᴄᴀᴅᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ɪɴɴᴏᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

08/07/2025

Thank you to the PIT chapter of the Disability Alliance, including Megan Phibbons and Luke Perry, for hosting a Bakery Square demo day based around HERL's latest research and developments for our peers at Google!

Our team got to demo live products showcasing the groundbreaking work being done by the Human Engineering Research Laboratories on:

👩‍🦼‍➡️Wheeled Mobility - Jorge Candiotti, Sivashankar Sivakanthan.
🦾 Assistive Robotics - Breelyn Kane Styler, Lesong Jia
🕹️ Gamified Accessibility Education - Sangmi Park, Shantanu Satpute

Founding Director, Rory Cooper, kickstarted the event with a presentation on our leading research, which first debuted at the AI for Good summit in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this year!!

Congratulations to all involved.

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ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴅᴇᴄᴀᴅᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ɪɴɴᴏᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

08/05/2025

📌 2025 disABILITY Conference 📅 July 31st

Human Engineering Research Laboratories Founding Director, Rory A. Cooper, PhD, PLY, and Associate Director for Stakeholder Engagement, Rosemarie Cooper, were recognized for their contribution as presenters at this Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission symposium on Technology and Disability in July!