HERL Newsletter Vol 25, No 2

HERL

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories Quarterly
Volume 25, Number 2. April - June 2026

Six Months of RAMMP on display
Dr. Cooper’s Keynote Speech at the UN
McGill University Commencement Address and Honors

In this Issue:

Feature - page 4
Accolades - page 6
Publications - page 7
Students - page 9
Community - page 14
Studies - page 16
Photos - page 20
News - page 22

All RAMMP photography credited to Ryan Shiring for Pitt HS.

About the Human Engineering Research Laboratories

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) are a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh, as an institute under Health Sciences, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a center within the Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

We work in all aspects of the Rehab Engineering research cycle at our facilities in Pittsburgh, PA; from conducting studies to developing physical, medical-grade products in our state of the art machine shop. A rare merging of theory and application, our laboratories offer a one-of-a-kind setting for developing solutions for people with disabilities by people with disabilities.

Our Mission

To continuously improve the mobility and function of people with disabilities through advanced engineering in clinical research and medical rehabilitation.

Our Vision

To create a world where all people with disabilities have unencumbered mobility and function so that they can fully participate in and contribute to society.

6425 Penn Ave, Suite 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
herl@groups.pitt.edu
herl.pitt.edu
(Photo of HERL logo)

RAMMP Demo Day at Bakery Square

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories host another successful community event with their first RAMMP progress update.

PITTSBURGH, April 21, 2026—Researchers at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), an institute within the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences and part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, hosted a demonstration day at the Portal at Bakery Square to showcase the first six months of progress on the Robotic Assistive Mobility and Manipulation Platform (RAMMP).

The system was presented in an early but significant prototype stage, just six months after HERL was awarded up to $41.5 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop RAMMP.

A wheelchair user piloted the prototype from the event space to a nearby coffee shop, navigating uneven terrain, opening doors independently with a robotic arm, and interacting seamlessly with the built environment. While these may seem like routine activities, they pose significant challenges for wheelchair users due to physical limitations, assistive technology constraints, and environmental barriers, which expose users to serious risk of injury and often require substantial time, effort, and caregiver support to navigate safely.

The system was presented in an early but significant prototype stage, just six months after HERL was awarded up to $41.5 million by ARPA-H.

The demonstration highlighted integrated prototype development, including coordinated arm, base, and sensor systems; a newly developed user interface; and the use of simulation to accelerate system validation. Early functional capabilities include navigation, door interaction, and assisted object manipulation, such as stabilizing and retrieving a cup.

By integrating advanced robotics, sensing, and embodied artificial intelligence, the system is being developed to help users navigate real-world environments and perform tasks that are often inaccessible with current technologies. These capabilities are supported by digital twin technology through the Robotic Assistive Mobility Manipulation Simulation (RAMMS) environment—a virtual platform that enables precise, safe, and scalable testing within realistic simulated settings.

This prototype represents the integration of leading technologies from several partners in the project, combining HERL’s MEBot mobility platform, LUCI’s sensor system, and Kinova’s robotic arm. The University of Pittsburgh and ATDev have led updates to the electronics architecture, user interface, and simulation workflows within RAMMS, while working closely with university partners to unify distributed innovations into a single system.

Photos:

RAMMP climbs and descends curbs…
...identifies and grabs items…
...opens doors (literally and figuratively)…
...and self-levels.

Sign up for updates on this and all our projects.
herl.pitt.edu/newsletter

Consider contributing to make these events possible.
herl.pitt.edu/give

Accolades and Events

Celebrating our best moments and achievements from the past three months.

Director, Dr. Rory Cooper, served as the commencement speaker for the 2026 convocation of the College of Engineering at McGill University in Montreal and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. 1 in only 10 honorees, the university highlighted Dr. Cooper's commitment to a more accessible world stating "his work truly exemplifies socially engaged research with profound benefits for often-marginalized communities." Dr. Cooper also held the remarkable role of keynote speaker at the World Intellectual Property Day held at the UN headquarters in April. Started in the year 2000, this annual event aims to increase the general understanding of intellectual property around the world. In his presentation, he introduced attendees to many examples of innovative models transforming para-athletics, like our kirigami wheelchairs. In May, Dr. Cooper spoke at UC Davis and led a panel of researchers and paralympians in this year's iteration of the International Paralympic Committee's VISTA conference. Dr. Cooper was the recipient of the Burj Global Power Innovation Award at the start of the quarter. ROSEMARIE COOPER, Associate Director for Stakeholder Engagement, attended the Fisher House groundbreaking celebration with Dr. Cooper in June.

Medical Director, DR. BRAD DICIANNO, gave lectures at the PA Spinal Cord Research Advisory Committee (SCRAC) public meeting in May and the UMPC Rehab Institute (RI) Research Day in June. The annual RI research day is a major event for researchers from the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Schools of Health Sciences at Pitt, showcasing research and collaboration across the departments and UPMC. His student researchers presented at the American Medical Informatic Association's (AMIA) 2026 meeting and the 2026 Conference on Health, Inference, and Learning (CHIL). Dr. Dicianno was selected to be the recipient of the UPMC Disabilities Resource Center's Distinguished Physician Advocate Award, which honors clinicians, staff, and teams annually.

Senior Associate Director for Research, DR. ALICIA KOONTZ, was awarded a UPMC Rehabilitation Institute Pilot Award Program pilot grant. These competitive grants are awarded to researchers whose work would lead to future external funding through large federal grant mechanisms. Her Research Assistant, Jake JuSteson, won two (2!) awards this quarter: second place in RESNA's Student Scientific Paper Competition (SSPC) and Best Rehabilitation Research Paper (undergraduate category) at the 22nd Annual Rehabilitation Institute Research Day. VICKY WANG, a Research Engineer working with Dr. Koontz, won the Best Poster award in the staff category at the same conference and DR. SHANTANU SATPUTE, a post-doctoral fellow working with Dr. Cooper, received the same award in the post-doc category!

DR. JORGE CANDIOTTI hosted partners and media for his team's bi-annual RAMMP progress update meeting in April, where the prototype was showcased in an early prototype stage. He attended the convocation of faculty honors for the Pitt School of Medicine with Dr. Cooper in June; a tribute to the outstanding achievements of our faculty members that characterize the quality of academic life at the University of Pittsburgh. His Summer Research Experience program mentee, ASHLEY MINGRINO, entered the winning submission for best paper at the Assistive Technology for Persons with Intellectual and Physical Disabilities Conference. Ashley won two (2!) additional awards for excellence at the event.

DRS. Raghu Chandrashekhar, SANGMI PARK, JASON RAAD, SHANTANU SATPUTE, SIVASHANKAR SIVAKANTHAN, along with ROSEMARIE COOPER and grad student OWEN FLAUGH, presented research at the University of Pittsburgh's 2026 Postdoc Research Symposium in May, and the 2026 Occupation Therapy Summit of Scholars in June. Dr. Park's mentee, PAIGE MATIJASICH, won Best Rehabilitation Research Paper (resident category) at the 22nd Annual Rehabilitation Institute Research Day.

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories hosted many visits to our facilities from both junior and distinguished visitors this quarter, such as renowned specialist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Dr. Timothy Dillingham, rehab robotics specialist, Dr. Sunil Agarwal, from Columbia University, Tim Hindes of DisabilityLead, and multiple classes of Occupational Therapy students from Pitt.

Photos:

Dr. Cooper with the distinguished panelists at the UN World IP Day, photo courtesy of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
The award winners and their mentors + speakers at the 2026 RI Research Day. Left to right: Dr. Dicianno. Dr. Satpute, Jake Justeson, Dr. Koontz, Rutuja Kulkarni, Vicky Wang, and Marcel Oliart.

Photography:

Left to right: Vice-Chancellor Saini; Dr. Cooper; Chancellor Boivin, President; and Madam Bertrand, Chair of the Board of Governors. Dr. Cooper was the commencement speaker at the 2026 convocation of the College of Engineering at McGill University in Montreal, and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa.
Left to right: Marcel Oliart, Dr. Ali Koontz, Jackson Rozelle, and Jake Justeson with the kirigami tennis chair at RESNA 2026. An important milestone for both Jessica Steinberg and Jackson Rozelle, the latter of who received a best-paper award for his work on the tennis chair, and the former who conceptualized the project and mentored Jackson to the completion of his research.
Dr. Timothy Dillingham getting a tour of the HERL spaces from Dr. Ali Koontz. Dr. Dilligham's visit marks a strong first half of the year for distinguished visits to our laboratories. A PM&R specialist with decades in the field of rehab medicine, Dr. Dillingham was in town for a grand rounds lecture at Pitt before stopping by our facilities to witness first-hand the groundbreaking research HERL engages in.
Left to right: Drs. Jorge Candiotti, Anantha Shekhar, and Rory Cooper together at the convocation of faculty honors for the Pitt School of Medicine. HERL's ARPA-H award to develop a new robotic assistive mobility and manipulation platform (RAMMP) with navigation assistance, environment negotiation, and robotic arm features, and AI capabilities compared to conventional wheelchairs was aknowledged at the event.
Dr. Sunil Agarwal as a distinguished lecturer at HERL. Dr. Agarwal is PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND PROFESSOR OF REHABILITATION AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE at Columbia. We had the honor to welcome him to HERL as he gave a lecture on rehabilitation robotics and improving everyday human functions.
Tim Hindes as a distinguished lecturer at HERL Mr. Hindes serves as the Interim Regional Director for Disability Lead Southwestern Pennsylvania, helping to grow a network of disabled leaders and strengthen pathways across the region. We had the honor to welcome him to HERL as he gave a lecture on partnering for disability inclusion, helping to ensure that we can help drive meaningful change in persons with disabilities' participation in our region.

William’s corner

Insights from our community

Hello fellow HERL supporters! My name is Sean Ferry. I was introduced to HERL through the Keystone Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America about five years ago. It was a great pleasure to be introduced to and become friends with Dr. Rory Cooper and his amazing team. At first, we mainly interacted through the National Veterans Wheelchair Games but then the more I learned about his compassion for adaptive research, the more I was intrigued. It is really impressive to hear about all the projects that his team is working on and a great pleasure to be involved with any of them that I can. It means a lot to me that the projects he is developing not only help veterans but also help all people with any disabilities.

I have met so many different people on his team that it basically makes me feel like part of the family. Everyone seems to be so willing to help whenever possible. Another main point of interest in my opinion is the fact that they are always willing to listen to suggestions and issues that a disabled person may be encountering. Recently, while participating in the Keystone Wheelchair Games at the HERL Laboratory in Pittsburgh, held in February, I had the privilege of using one of their new developments that enables severely disabled people to participate in the game of corn hole. It is a beast of a machine, and they call it the trebuchet. It replicates a catapult with an easily accessible trigger mechanism. It is more like a “corn-a-pult”. I had the opportunity, and enjoyment, of using their device again at the Buckeye Wheelchair Games held at the end of April in Geneva Ohio. They had made some modifications and really made it a rather accurate invention. I was told by several people that they could not believe I never stopped smiling when using the device. I feel like it is very important to be able to get out of the house and attempt different sporting events with adaptive inventions and watch your peers with different levels of injuries enjoying the same thing. That seems to be exactly what Dr. Cooper and his team are doing.

Sean Ferry
KPVA

I’m Gavin Paulhamus, a research engineer here at HERL. During my time under Dr. Grindle’s mentorship, I worked on a variety of projects and collaborated with several faculty members at HERL. One particularly meaningful experience was my involvement in the Power of Play program with Dr. Duvall, where I was challenged to create a device to assist wheelchair users in participating in the popular yard-game cornhole. Both mentors supported my growth by sharing their expertise and offering thoughtful guidance throughout the prototyping process. After some discussion over how to address the challenge of throwing a bean bag, I began by making a quarter scale model to test the core functions. What we agreed upon was basically an underhand catapult which would mimic the natural throwing motion of the game. After many iterations and modifications, the launcher was able to throw accurately enough for someone unable to throw a bag the regulation 27 feet to participate in a game using it. An assistant (me) would crank the arm to the desired power and adjust the angle to change trajectory as instructed by the wheelchair user. About a year after the initial concept, I brought the launcher to our Keystone Wheelchair Games, where two local users, Alec and Sean, had the opportunity to use it. This experience was one of the most impactful moments of my time at HERL. Seeing their excitement and enjoyment made me realize the doors engineering can open, especially in recreation and inclusion. Normally I’m a pretty competitive cornhole player, but that day, playing against Alec and Sean using the launcher, I was more than happy to lose.

As I refine the launcher, my goal is to make it more accessible so that users can operate it independently, and eventually see it incorporated into organized play or leagues.

Gavin Paulhamus
Research Engineer, HERL

Photos

Far Left: Sean and Lynette Ferry, Rosi Cooper, Dr. Duvall, and Gavin Paulhamus; Left: Sean Ferry utilizing Gavin's trebuchet; Top: Gavin Paulhamus with his project; Right: Buckeye games attendees trying out the trebuchet with Rosi Cooper and Gavin on the sides.

Power of Play additional info.
powerofplay.ahs.illinois.edu

Publications, Manuscripts

Design and User Testing of a Kirigami-Inspired Sheet Metal Rugby Wheelchair

This study aimed to design and fabricate a cost effective and easy-to-manufacture kirigami inspired rugby wheelchair prototype and evaluate it through user testing. The resulting prototypes were usable for simple drills and participants were able to provide feedback about features that are favorable and/or need improvement. Interview findings will inform additional iterations of the prototype. Though further development and testing will be necessary prior to commercializing KRuWs, these wheelchairs may lower the burden of entry and, therefore, increase access to adapted sports.

Steinberg J, Thornton K, Ota Y, Rice I, Cooper R. Design and user testing of a kirigami-inspired sheet metal rugby wheelchair. Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering, 2026.

Characterizing the Rolling Resistance Force and Deformation of In-Wheel Suspension Systems in Manual Wheelchairs

The purpose of this study was to compare Loopwheel Urban, a type of in-wheel suspension wheel to a carbon fiber wheel (Spinergy CLX) and standard spoked wheel to elucidate their comparative effects on rolling resistance force and axle deformation.

Neti A, Wilson-Jene H, Pearlman J, Koontz AM. Characterizing the rolling resistance force and deformation of in-wheel suspension systems in manual wheelchairs. Assist Technol, 2026.

Aligning Task Goals before Execution: Insights from Diverse User Groups into Human–Robot Communication in Domestic Settings

The survey captured participants’ expectations of future robots (roles, embodiments, and concerns) and their preferences for instruction delivery and robot feedback before execution. Our results reveal both shared and group-specific patterns.

Jia, Lesong, et al. Aligning Task Goals before Execution: Insights from Diverse User Groups into Human–Robot Communication in Domestic Settings. Proceedings of the 21st ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, Association for Computing Machinery, 2026

Development of Easy-to-Make Adaptive Sports and Recreation Technology

The purpose of this project is to develop an open-source repository of affordable Sport and Recreation Activity Assistive Technology in response to idea submissions from the disability community.

Duvall J, Priestley L, Cooper RA, Rice I. Development of easy-to-make adaptive sports and recreation technology. Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering, 2026.

Design and Feasibility of A Nickel-Zinc Battery-to-Supercapacitor Hybrid Power System with Active Voltage-Gap Control for Powered Mobility Devices

This project developed a prototype power system using nickel–zinc batteries and super capacitors to power a scooter. The design uses the nickel–zinc batteries to periodically and quickly charge the supercapacitors which then provide the power the scooter.

Duvall, J.; Gebrosky, B.; Grindle, G.; Layton, S.; Ciregna, A.; Cooper, R.A. Design and Feasibility of a Nickel–Zinc Battery-to-Supercapacitor Hybrid Power System with Active Voltage-Gap Control for Powered Mobility Devices. Electronics, 2026.

Open House

July 23rd, 1-5pm, Bakery Square One, 6425 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh PA

Come see all the incredible projects we are working on and meet the newest members of our team!

Concurrently, our summer students will be giving poster presentations of their work from the past two months.

Register now
herl.pitt.edu/openhouse
RSVPs not required, but encouraged.

Recruiting Participants

Sign up to our registry
herl.pitt.edu/participate

*Sign up to our registry.

HOME studies can only be conducted within a 2-hour driving radius of Pittsburgh.
Our research relies on supporters like you. Give today. herl.pitt.edu/give

I want to talk with you.

CONTACT: William Schoy, RESEARCH PARTICIPANT ADVOCATE
wjs43@pitt.edu
(412) 822-3715

Photos of past studies: PPTS (left) and HERLTown (right).

Behind the Scenes

Student Summer Research Program

The students behind HERL this summer have begun their internships across multiple areas, contributing to a variety of meaningful projects. Under the guidance of researchers and engineers, they are developing valuable skills that span the full scope of the design process, from iterative development and hands-on work in the bio-lab and machine shops, to testing protocols and effective client communication. Each intern is gaining a firsthand understanding of how every stage of the process influences and shapes the final product.

By the end of the program, they will have the opportunity to present their research through individual posters, showcasing the projects and progress they have made throughout the summer. It is a chance for interns to highlight their contributions, reflect on their growth, and share their work with the broader HERL community.

At a Glance…

Group Intern Photo

Left to right, top to bottom: Ji Yool Moon, Anant Jayaraman, Jackson Rozelle, Alex Chovan, Abraham Tay, Alexi Peppas, Matt Tang, Meredith Geno, Therese Nneji, Sasha Roth, Cecilia Morrow, Kathryn Huth, Nat Kallet, & Shawn Lytle

Headlines

AAP POCKET MENTOR - Dr. Dicianno’s journey into PM&R and his Advice for Medical Students.
BUSINESS TIMES - Pitt-connected Lab Shows Off Robotic Wheelchair Prototype
POST-GAZETTE - Pitt Demos RAMMP Prototype
PITT WIRE - The Next Generation of Wheelchairs Can Navigate Curbs and Hold Beverages
UN DESA Leveling the Playing Field: Innovation and Intellectual Property in Sport for All
PITT MED Independence Within Reach
DEPARTMENT OF WAR DVIDS Dr. Rory Cooper's Army Journey Reflects ARCP Mission
CONSUMER REPORTS How to Stand Up More Easily - Advice From Dr. Dicianno

Find the links to all these stories and more.
herl.pitt.edu/news-links

Rumination of the Quarter

"This past quarter has been a strong period of growth and collaboration for our team, and it’s one of the things I appreciate most about working at HERL, where collaboration is truly encouraged. We’ve leaned on each other’s expertise while also building meaningful connections beyond Pitt that continue to grow our research. It’s been a busy quarter, but a very rewarding one!"

ViCTORIA SMOZSKI
Grants & Contracts Specialist

We extend our gratitude to our partners

NIDILRR
PVA
NSF
ARPA-H

Our Progress This Year

1 Patent awarded by the CIPO
13 Manuscripts published in major peer-reviewed journals
17 Awards received for our research
32 Presentations and visits from our distinguished peers and organizations to our lab

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6425 Penn Ave, Suite 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
herl@groups.pitt.edu
herl.pitt.edu

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END