Draft:Human Engineering Research Laboratories

HERL
HERL
Origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Years active	1994–present
Partners	Department of Veterans Affairs; University of Pittsburgh; UPMC;
Website	herl.pitt.edu

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) is a joint research institution under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) that specializes in continuously improving the mobility and function of people with disabilities through advanced engineering in clinical research and medical rehabilitation.

Located in Pittsburgh, PA, HERL acts as the VA's lead laboratory for assistive technology testing and research. It includes the VA Center for Wheelchairs and Assistive Robotics Engineering. July 23rd, 2024 marked the laboratories' 30th anniversary.

History

In 1980, Director Rory Cooper, PhD, a U.S. Army veteran, began designing assistive technology when a spinal cord injury during his military service left him partially paralyzed at the age of 20. By 1989, Cooper was an assistant bioengineering professor at Sacramento State University, which helped pave the way for the eventual creation of HERL in 1994. The labs were initially located in an old VA facility on the _____, and were moved three times before expanding into the current site at Bakery Square.

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