Hello Robot partners with The ALS Association to advance practical robotic assistance for people living with ALS
Martinez, CA Thursday, December 12, 2024
Hello Robot, a leading innovator in assistive robotics, has teamed up with the ALS Association and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh to advance the development of Stretch: a user-friendly robot with the potential to enhance the quality of life of people living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). The two-year project is funded by a $400,000 investment from the ALS Association.
Under this partnership, Hello Robot’s popular open-source mobile manipulator, Stretch, will be further developed to meet the specific needs of people living with ALS. The research collaboration could improve the usability of Stretch across a variety of daily activities (e.g., eating, drinking, personal care, and household chores). Product development and testing will be done in close collaboration with a small group of occupational therapists, users with ALS, and their care partners.
According to Dr. Charlie Kemp, Hello Robot co-founder and CTO, “We founded Hello Robot to ensure that cutting-edge robotics leaves research labs and helps people in the real world. In collaboration with the ALS Association and Prof. Dan Ding, we are uniquely positioned to create practical, human-scale robots that support people living with ALS.”
The project builds on three years of NIH-funded research in which Hello Robot, working with academic partners, demonstrated that Stretch could augment in-home care for a variety of conditions. This included a pilot where Stretch was controlled by an individual with quadriplegia in his home and studies at an independent life plan community in Illinois to support older adults with mild cognitive impairments.
Innovative Robotic Assistance for People Living with ALS
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As the disease advances, individuals with ALS experience a gradual loss of motor control, making daily tasks increasingly challenging. A robotic assistant, such as Stretch, holds the potential to help with the physical challenges of performing daily activities and transform home-based care for people living with ALS.
"We want people with ALS to live their lives to the fullest. One important way we can help them do that is by supporting the development of assistive technologies like Stretch that can help them do the everyday things they would normally do that the disease takes away,” said Kuldip Dave, Ph.D., senior vice president of research for the ALS Association. “These types of technologies are really important for managing ALS and key to making it a livable disease.”
The project focuses on extending Stretch’s autonomous capabilities by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) advances. Hello Robot will also develop interfaces to enable people living with ALS to control Stretch, such as through voice control and head tracking. The usability and acceptability of these capabilities will be evaluated through in-home testing with a small number of people living with ALS.
A Collaborative Approach to Assistive Robotics
Central to this project is the collaboration between researchers, care partners, and people living with ALS through participatory design. By working directly with individuals living with ALS to identify and iterate on their most critical tasks, the partnership will directly tailor Stretch to meet the evolving needs of people living with ALS.
“Engaging people living with ALS and their caregivers in the design process is essential to creating assistive robots like Stretch that truly transform daily life. Our goal is to develop technology that not only addresses critical needs but empowers individuals to live with greater autonomy and joy,” said University of Pittsburgh Professor Dr. Dan Ding, whose expertise in participatory design and wheelchair-mounted robotic arms will shape this initiative.
Transforming the Future of Home Based Care
The Stretch robot is evolving from a commercially available research platform (available for $24,950) into a versatile robot that can support people in their homes. This partnership marks a critical step in this evolution. Hello Robot CEO Aaron Edsinger says, “The future of home-based care will undoubtedly involve robotic assistance. Stretch has the potential to provide reliable, 24/7 support for individuals with motor impairments. We are thrilled that the ALS Association shares this vision and has joined us on this journey”.
To follow Stretch's progress and learn more about its impact on the lives of people with ALS, visit Hello Robot’s website or follow the company’s journey on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Twitter.
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Dr. Aaron Edsinger, CEO
Hello Robot Inc
Source: Hello Robot Inc
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