Pittsburg, PA

Pitt researchers advancing robot for people living with ALS

Published

1 year ago

December 20, 2024

Pitt researchers advancing robot for people living with ALS

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.

Jessica Guay

Jessica Guay joined KDKA as a reporter in February 2021. Before joining KDKA, Jessica was a morning anchor and reporter at WJAC in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She was also an anchor and reporter at WCHS in Charleston, West Virginia, and at WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio.

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Pittsburg, PA

Nearly a Century Old, This Sears House Kit Home in Fineview is Still Fine | Pittsburgh Magazine

Published

10 hours ago

January 11, 2026

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Nearly a Century Old, This Sears House Kit Home in Fineview is Still Fine | Pittsburgh Magazine

Built in 1928, the hillside home is packed with original millwork, charming details and loads of storage.

PHOTOS BY DONNELLY MEDIA, LLC

When Alena Taylor Keefe was in elementary school, her family moved to 2035 Biggs Ave. in Pittsburgh’s Fineview neighborhood.

The year was 1975, and she recalls being delighted with the Craftsman-style home built from a Sears housing kit that her family would call theirs for the next 50 years.

“It’s a place that you can call home,” she says. “Some places you can’t really say that about, but it’s just such a great family home.”

33 Biggs 32

Built in 1928, the house has three bedrooms and one bathroom packed into 1,500 square feet.

“I grump about the fact that there’s only one bathroom and the kitchen is small because I love to cook, but I still made it work for many family suppers,” Keefe says. “We hosted holiday dinners where we extended the dining table into the living room to accommodate everybody. It was just home.”

03 Kitchen

The first floor of the home has that small, yet functional kitchen, a nicely sized dining room and a large living room that spans the front of the home. Keefe warmly recalls coming down the front staircase on Christmas mornings and posing in formal dresses beside the steps before school dances. She says her family also enjoyed the long front porch that runs along the living room.

“My dad would come out and read the newspaper, and I’d be on the swing with my mom while she worked on her crochet,” she says.

On the second floor, three equally sized bedrooms share a hallway bathroom with double sinks. A set of pull-down stairs leads to ample storage under the eaves.

07 Dining

Now in their 80s, Keefe’s parents have moved to a maintenance-free home near Keefe’s current home in Beaver County, so they can continue to enjoy family dinners together, but without the responsibility of home ownership.

While Keefe is wistful about selling the home her parents carefully loved for half a century, she is certain a new buyer will recognize its charm and value.

“So much has never been touched,” she says. “There is original woodwork, an original fireplace that still has a coal chute to the outside and a lovely built-in China cabinet in the dining room.”

18 Bedroom 1

Keefe also touts the home’s plentiful storage; there’s a clean, dry basement, attic storage and a detached two-car garage with a lower level could be space for a workshop, studio or general storage.

Keefe notes the roof was replaced in the last decade; there also were updates to the HVAC, including adding air conditioning, and the family replaced the upstairs flooring in preparation to sell the carefully maintained home.

30 Rear Yard

The house is now listed by Brian Larson of Howard Hanna for $245,000. He says it checks all the right boxes for a first-time homebuyer — or anyone shopping for a clean, well-maintained home.

“This is a home that has clearly been loved and lived in with care,” says Larson. “Over the years, attention has been given to maintaining and improving the property in a way that supports comfortable, everyday living. While no home of this era is ever ‘finished,’ per se, the overall condition reflects consistent stewardship rather than deferred maintenance.”

34 Neighborhood 1 With Pin

Larson says buyers should not have issues with financing for this home, including loans through the Federal Housing Administration or other specialized lending programs. Priced right around the city’s median home price, Larson encourages shoppers to check it out.

“Many first-time buyer programs are available that may offer down payment assistance and competitive interest rates, helping make homeownership more attainable for qualified buyers,” he says.

Larson adds that he loves the sun-soaked room that runs along the front of the home, as well as the wide front porch and the property’s proximity to Fineview Park.

“Fineview is also known as one of the best vantage points in the city for fireworks and skyline views,” he adds. “With convenient bus access and an easy commute to Downtown, the neighborhood offers a unique blend of tranquility, accessibility and city connection.”

25 Front Porch View

Keefe says that while the neighbors have changed over the course of 50 years, her family has always been thankful for the close-knit Fineview community.

“There are some chickens running loose, but everybody up there is so kind,” she says with a laugh. “The mailman lives up on the corner; everybody knows everybody. It’s just so nice.”

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Pittsburg, PA

17-year-old accused in deadly Kansas shooting

Published

22 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

17-year-old accused in deadly Kansas shooting

CRAWFORD COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating another deadly shooting involving a Kansas teen.

Just before 9p.m. Friday, police along with first responder units from Pittsburg Fire Department and Crawford County EMS, were dispatched to a shooting at Schlanger Park, 725 E 6th Street in Pittsburg, according to a media release. First responders found that an adult male had been shot and had subsequently died as a result of his injuries.

The victim, who was identified as 18-year-old Adam Basauri, of Girard, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Basauri’s body was sent to Kansas City for an autopsy.

The scene was secured and investigators with the Pittsburg Police Department responded to assist with the investigation. Witnesses on scene advised the suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. Witnesses were transported to the police department to be interviewed while the search for the suspect was ongoing.

At approximately 9:46 p.m. the suspect and suspect’s vehicle were located in Arma, Kansas, by deputies with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect, who was identified as a 17-year-old juvenile, was taken into custody and transported to the Pittsburg Police Department for questioning. The juvenile suspect’s vehicle was secured and towed to the Pittsburg Police Department to be processed.

After interviewing the witnesses’ investigators were able to determine that a brief altercation took place between Basauri and the juvenile suspect. During the altercation, the suspect shot Basauri.

As a result, the 17-year-old juvenile, of Pittsburg, was placed under arrest. Juvenile Intake responded and processed the juvenile suspect. The juvenile suspect was transported to the Southeast KS Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Girard. He is being held on a requested charge of murder in the second degree.

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Pittsburg, PA

Masontown Borough unanimously votes to reinstate police department

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Masontown Borough unanimously votes to reinstate police department

During an emergency meeting on Saturday night, Masontown borough council voted 6-0 to reinstate its police department after council initially voted on Monday to lay off the entire department, citing budgetary reasons as the leading factor for the decision.

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