Dr. Rory Cooper is a leading inventor in rehabilitation engineering, focused on developing innovative solutions for people with disabilities.

He is also a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the founder and director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a research center that combines engineering and rehabilitation science to develop assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs and other mobility devices, with the goal of improving the daily lives of individuals with disabilities (University of Pittsburgh).

In this interview, Cooper emphasizes that innovation can begin anywhere and that anyone can get started at any age. He encourages young inventors to start small—such as by solving a problem for a family member or a pet—before scaling their ideas. As he puts it, "It’s always better to start personal, then go local, and then go big."

At HERL, Cooper has led the development of more than 100 assistive technology devices. He holds 25 patents, with several more pending, and has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles.

His innovations continue to provide people with disabilities new opportunities to live more independently and engage with the world around them (United States Patent and Trademark Office).

Furthermore, at the heart of Cooper’s work is a belief in mentorship and service. “Really, we’re all on this earth to hopefully make a contribution,” he says, “and to me, I think if we can help young people or people younger than ourselves get launched on something that they enjoy and where they can make a difference in the world, that’s very important.”

Discussion questions:

• What would a fully accessible world look like to you, and what steps can we take as a society to move closer to that vision?
• Why are innovators and inventors important for society, and how do their contributions help drive progress both socially and technologically?
• Why is it important to inspire people of all ages to invent and innovate, and how might early exposure to these principles not only help students succeed later in life but also positively shape the future of our communities?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

To learn more about Dr. Rory Cooper and his numerous inventions, you can read his full biography here. Furthermore, to explore the groundbreaking work happening at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), you can visit the HERL website.

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Be sure to check out PBS News Hour Classroom's Invention Education collection, full of lessons and video stories featuring student inventors and their teachers.

We also have an Invention Educator Network (no experience necessary!), which brings together teachers from various subjects and grade levels to discuss all things invention & innovation. Sign up here to learn more.

Written by Brooke Ingemi, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern and senior at Amherst College, and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio.

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