In this episode of Standing Ready, Katie and Shawn explore the evolution of VA medical devices throughout history. Our conversation with guest Dr. Rory Cooper explores his career as a VA senior research career scientist at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories which includes the VA Center for Wheelchairs and Assistive Robotics Engineering. As a paralyzed Veteran himself, Cooper has dedicated his career to improving  the lives of paralyzed Veterans and Cooper holds 25 patents in wheelchair technology. He is the inventor of many advanced mobility devices and assistive technologies. Among these are MEBot, a stair-climbing wheelchair; PneuChair, a wheelchair powered entirely by compressed air; and Virtual Seating Coach, a smartphone app to control power wheelchair seating systems He is the author of two books: "Rehabilitation Engineering Applied to Mobility and Manipulation” and “Wheelchair Selection and Configuration”, and co-editor of “An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering”, “Warrior Transition Leader: Medical Rehabilitation Handbook” and the award winning book “Care of the Combat Amputee”.