PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A University of Pittsburgh research group is reaching new limits and perfecting a robot to help people with ALS live better lives.

Stretch, a robot by the company Hello Robot, looks like a Roomba from the future. Researchers in Pitt’s Accessible Smart-Tech Research Group teamed up with Hello Robot and the ALS Association to work on advancing Stretch. 

“For people who have these dexterity issues or mobility issues, you can actually send the robot to do things for you. Grab a cup of water and help you to pick up things from the floor,” said Dr. Dan Ding, a University of Pittsburgh professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology.

The mobile manipulator is mostly used for research and educational purposes. Ding said the company hopes people will be able to buy them to have one in their home.

Through this new partnership, the Pitt researchers are focusing on getting the robot ready to help people with ALS do things that the progressive neurological condition takes away. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and it gets harder to perform daily tasks. It can rob people of the ability to reach for objects, walk, talk and eat.

Stretch just needs some fine-tuning.

“We really want to understand how this technology can help the individuals at different stages. And so especially when people go down to the later stage that they have to rely on a power wheelchair and then they would rely on a lot of manipulation support,” Ding said. 

She said they’re working directly with people living with ALS, their families, caregivers and clinicians to understand their everyday life needs — whether that’s help with eating, personal care, chores, or even if it’s as simple as picking things up.

“To identify the tasks that truly matter to them but also feasible to the robot. Robots cannot do everything at this time. So, we have to prioritize what kind of work that robot can really help is meaningful. So, these kind of things that we can help with and they don’t have to constantly ask caregiver to do things for them,” Ding said. 

They hope to program the robot to give independence, safety and hope to anyone living with disabilities. Ding said it’s always rewarding when they develop technology that makes a difference in people’s lives. 

“It’s very motivating for us to hear that whatever we gave them has actually helped them to do things independently that they don’t have at all, and then we take it for granted. But they have to, for a very small thing, ask people to help. And now with this technology, they don’t. They can actually decide when I want to do it,” she said. 

The Pitt research group has two years to further develop the robot. The project is funded by $400,000 from the ALS Association.

For anyone who has ALS or family members who would like to help them with this project, the research group would love to hear from you. Participating would include getting the robot to practice in the lab and your home.

There’s no timeline for when the improved robot will be available for consumers to purchase.