Stretch Mobile Manipulator

Stretch Mobile Manipulator

Hello Robot, in collaboration with the NYU GRAIL Lab, has been advancing the ability of robots to provide in-home assistance to older adults and people with disabilities. Their collaboration builds upon the Stretch 3 mobile manipulator – a friendly, safe, and open-source product sold by Hello Robot. 

At NYU, researchers are advancing AI methods to teach Stretch dexterous manipulation skills. For example, Robot Utility Models (RUMs) allow Stretch to learn and generalize tasks such as opening cabinet doors, opening drawers, picking up napkins, picking up paper bags, and reorienting fallen objects.

Hello Robot is advancing Stretch’s ability to support people with severe mobility impairments. One such person is Henry Evans, a non-speaking adult with quadriplegia. Henry has used Stretch in his home, transforming his daily life in ways he never thought possible. Henry, primarily dependent on his wife, Jane, now contributes meaningfully to household chores. Henry describes, “It felt great to help my wife in a meaningful way… It made me feel useful again.”

Stretch holds the potential to benefit aging populations worldwide. Older adults face severe shortages of caregiving aides and high costs of in-home care. Stretch will one day provide affordable 24/7 in-home care in circumstances where care is otherwise not accessible.

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  • Organization
    Hello Robot Inc and the NYU General-Purpose Robotics and AI Lab
  • Profession
    In-home robotic assistance for people with disabilities