Next On Q, smart technology making life easier for local seniors are usually living in houses that are totally inadequate to support their needs as their needs have changed.

See how this local company is developing technolog that could change seniors lives.

Also tonight On Q celebrates Pittsburg 250 with a Big Mac.

My dad invented the sandwich in 1967.

We'll trace the roots of this historic burger.

We'll also see why these local filmmakers think Pittsburgh is the perfect place to make movies.

The city just kind of lends itself naturally to to a set On Q starts right now.

And for.

And welcome to On Q I'm Michael Bartley as Pittsburgh celebrates its 250th anniversary.

We take pride in bringing you stories about some of the unique things that are happening in our communities.

And tonigh we visit the city of McKeesport, where an unusual corporatio has set up shop hoping to change the lives of senior citizens and the city itself.

It is called Blue Roof Technologies, and as Tonia Caruso reports, Blue Roof is startin to get some national attention.

The story of McKeesport is like that of many local towns.

It once boomed, then went bust as the steel industry faded.

The pas two decades haven't been easy, but these days there' talk of new economic development development that centers around this newly built home on Spring Street.

From the outside, i may look like a typical house, but inside there's nothing typical about it.

The first person you meet is Amy.

Amy is the female voice, which is the personality of the house and the personality of the computer that actually runs the house and keeps the seniors safe.

Front door opens so the minute a door opens.

Amy lets the senior know.

Whether it's a door, a window, or more important to us.

The downstairs basement door which you can't see from here.

John Bertoty proudly shows off this smart cottage.

It's a modular home run by a computer and filled with cameras, sensor and all kinds of new technology designed to make life easier for senior citizens.

The goal is to allow seniors to live independently for a longer period of time.

They're usually living in houses that are totally inadequate to to support their needs, as their needs have changed due to aging.

Bertozzi is a former principal of McKeesport High School and now the executive director of Blue Roof Technologies.

He started the nonprofit corporation six years ago, a place where students could, with the help of Bob Walters, an engineering professor at Penn State Greater Allegheny.

Even though I've been in construction since I was a little boy, and Jerry Desmond, a local builder, ironically it was in trying to keep young people in McKeespor that the idea first came about.

There wasn't any place for them to work, so they'd they'd get a nice degree, or they had an education and then they'd leave.

When we really couldn't get the engineering or the IT companies to move in, we said, well, let's start our own.

So with the help of several grants, Blue Roof Technologies was born and work on the Smart Cottage Began.

It took more than four year from conception to completion.

Along the way, tw more universities got involved.

The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon.

Together, they received a major grant from the National Scienc Foundation, making the cottage a quality of life technology engineering research center.

They needed to find some things outside the laboratory, someplace in the rural worl where they could try things out and test them.

And we became very early on a test bed for them today.

Sam Zajac of White Oak is testing a concept for a unique exercise bike.

So what we have is the electrodes on the end of the bike.

It's a bicycle that records a person's EKG.

The idea is that eventually it could replace a trip to the doctors.

You can actually see your EKG coming across there, and that we can then transmi to the doctor or to the nurse.

When a person's identity i compromised, Sam is one of more than a dozen seniors visiting the cottage today.

Most are here for a special meeting on preventing identity theft.

But going back, say, 15 other seniors are blue Roof Associates testing technolog and taking part in focus groups.

You know, getting a access or call.

I think there are just so many possibilities.

I really like the use of the technology, and I find out that many people that are in my age group are are little inquisitive about the technology, but very eager to get involved with it.

We have about a 80 to 10 different sensors in the home, so we can recognize when the refrigerator's open, when somebody is out of bed, when they've moved, into to the living room, have they watch TV?

Have they been on the telephone?

More important than just reminder to know.

And if they've taken their medicine.

Good morning.

Youll.

Hope you had a good night.

Now it's time to take your medicine.

Have a good day.

Thank you.

Medication for today.

Everything in this home is designed with the seniors safety and health in mind.

So the bathroom is also filled.

Yes.

Lots of interesting things.

Take a trip to the bathroom.

Okay.

I notic automatically the light goes on.

Yes, a sensor automatically turns on the light, and it's triggered by a motion sensor.

That also serves another purpose.

If a person ceases to move for a period of time, an alert will go of and Amy can come on and ask him if they're all right.

And if they still don't move, then we can have an alarm filed so that Amy can then call somebody because the person could be down in here.

Need help?

75% of accidents, or at least falls to seniors in the home take place in the bathroom.

Obviously, they're on wet floors a lot.

This product is a recycled rubber product that, besides being a very good idea and a good way to use thos things, it's also very nonskid.

If I turn the water on, Amy can also remind seniors that the water is running and shut it off after a period of time.

Small things individually, but together they can make a big difference.

Our overall goal is to use that information to really determin the resident's quality of life.

You know, if they don't open the refrigerator, there's a good chance there's something wrong.

They're not eating, you know?

So we want to know that and be able to alert somebody, a caregiver, a family member.

All of that data comes to one central server first, and then we analyze that an and hopefully through through.

Researcher at Pitt and CMU and Penn State, they'll be able to come up with algorithms and artificial intelligence that will say, whoops, something's wrong with Alice today.

We better check and see what you can do to make that a little better, or see what she needs more than anything else.

While it will take time t perfect all of the technologies, the majority work well and are being used right now.

In fact, along with the smar cottage, the folks at Blue Roof created this modular addition for people with disabilities.

The one that we're working on now.

The prototype is about 14 by 28ft.

We fully equipped with and an accessible space.

It becomes a bedroom slash living room and a fully accessible bathroom.

And we can ship it to a plac and we can attach it to a home.

Once completed, this edition is on its way to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Folk there asked for a demonstration looking to help injured veterans.

There's so many different types of programs that they now break it down.

Meantime, back in McKeesport, the planning is underway for something equally as big.

The Blue Roof folks are meeting with architects about the development of ten acres of land calle the McKeesport Independent Zone.

It would be a neighborhood of homes similar to the smart cottage, where seniors or folks with disabilities could live independently.

Leed platinum in a two bedroom house with a basic security system would sell for $110,000.

Blue roof has already built and sold nearly a dozen smart homes, many of them group homes and neighborhoods throughout the region.

Laverne McConnell of Bethel Park thinks smart homes can make a big difference in the lives of seniors.

This is really helping people, like being able to get into the bathroom, being able to give them a shower, them being abl to get into their own cupboards and to their computer, things like that.

In addition to the tech center, the folks at Blue Roof hope the smart home will eventually mean even more.

Beginnin a transformation of McKeesport.

Our little part is trying to build homes that peopl are going to want to move here, and then also we want to try to manufacture right here in McKeesport.

And in doing so, we can supply jobs and try to put McKeesport back.

Now we're not going to be able to do it overnight.

It's going to take a lot of hard work and is going to be a lot of people involved.

But we have the cooperatio of the politicians in this area, and we have the cooperation of a lot of the people.

A lot of the people are very glad that our neighborhood is going to be cleaned up.

And if you look down a the old mill site in Duquesne, you'll notice that all the roofs on the buildings there are green.

The RDC chose green for that, and the other half of the same RDC group's buildings at the mill site in McKeesport all have blue roofs.

So we got ourselves blue roof technology because we want to result in a company down in the old mill site, what we call the Blue roof section, that actually will enable our young people to stay here and work, come out of the tech center and have jobs to go to.

The idea is that a neighborhood filled with these smart cottages would mak an ideal retirement community, not just in the McKeesport area, but all around the country.

And so while the folks at Blue Roof Technologies continue to educate student and test new ideas, its sister corporation, Blue Roof Solutions, is handling the building of the homes.

And again, eventually they want all of those homes to be constructed here and then they can be shipped anywhere.

For more information, you can log on to our website at wqed.org/OnQ and Michael.

It is a project that has many layers, but they really d hope they can make a difference not only in the lives of senior citizens, but certainly in improving the economic conditions in McKeesport.

So it's great for McKeesport, and it provides independence for the senior citizens.

And I guess the prices range for prices range.

As we said in the story, 110,000 is the rate for a two bedroom cottag with the basic security system.

And then the more you add the more the prices can go up.

Fancy.

The technology goes up.

All right Tonia great story.

Thanks.

Still ahead to find out how a local company plans to bring more Hollywood to Pittsburgh.

And we'll have the history of the Big Mac, a burger born right outside of Pittsburgh.

It's all still to come.

Right here.

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Additional funding for On Q is made possible by the Pennsylvania Public Television Network and by the Allegheny Regional Asset District, helping On Q showcase thi region's vibrant arts community with corporate funding from Highmark.

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Pittsburgh has long been on a short list of American cities considered as alternative locations for movie shoots four local young men are hoping to bring that tradition to a whole new level with their full service production house right here in the heart of Green Tree in Allegheny County.

Their company is calle Smithfield Street Productions.

On Q, contributor Susie Meister has that story.

What we've created here is it's truly a class A project and I think that for many years to come, we'll be doing movies in Pittsburgh.

Is it good to tighten it up?

And hopefully we can continue to grow this into what our vision is.

So what's the name about?

We were actually looking for a historical name, something that had some Pittsburgh roots, but maybe it wasn't totally obvious.

So really neat fac that a lot of people don't know.

I never knew it, and a lot o people in Pittsburgh don't know.

It is the very first movie theater in the world was on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh.

So after being in Hollywood, what made you decide to come back to Pittsburgh and do movies in Pittsburgh?

We said, man, we got to get back to Pittsburgh and make movies because we loves we love, love, love Pittsburgh.

We watched the Steeler games together in L.A.

all the times where we have terrible towels everywhere.

So I've been talking to your partners and just finding out what made you guys think that making movies was for Pittsburgh?

Oh, well, it used to be here.

And I mean, know with the, you know, movies were made here in the, you know, turn of the century when they first started making films.

We got our experience in LA.

So we were out doing the movie things.

Brian Hartman and myself were out doing movies in LA.

We wanted to fin some people that would help us get going here.

And we ran into our terrific partners, Ben Barton and Mike Dolan and the four of us together came up with Smithfield Street Productions.

We co-founded it, and we decided to make our same movies here.

From the movie production side.

Mike and Brian have the the talent and the skill there.

And from the business side, Ben and I brought a different, different angle into the business, which kind of really works out well for us.

Well, Pittsburgh's had a little bit of experience with films, here prior, and the city just kind of lends itself naturally to, to a set, each different part of Pittsburgh, really.

You don't really have to address Pittsburgh up each place you go to in Pittsburgh.

It's ready to be shot as is.

Hey, Matt, it's your birthday.

People are looking for you.

So when you guys are making a movie in Pittsburgh, how much of the crew is from Pittsburgh?

Well, we try to us as much of the crew as possible on Pittsburgh.

We can.

And the majority of the cre from Pittsburgh, 95% of our jobs were all filled now right here by my people in Pittsburgh.

And, and again, they did a great job.

The Pittsburgh film office is wonderful.

I mean, they just the they really make it easy for us.

It was, really fun bringing, all these different actors and actresses into Pittsburgh who hadn't been here before in showing on the city, and I think they were really impressed.

The Bridge to Nowhere is a great project that Blair Underwood actually came to us with a scrip that he really liked, and he really wanted to get invo It's about four Pittsburghers growing up in the North Side, and they're kind of not doin really well in life, working the 9 to 5 jobs, just trying to get by, and they end up getting into some illegal activitie that propels them to this fake height of wealth and power, and it's ultimately their peak of that.

And then they realize tha through the course of all that, you know, not the illegal, illegal way is not necessarily the best way to go.

It's Blair's directorial debut, Weaving Rhames.

And if there's a lot o nice appeal and it's a real edgy kind of, Goodfellas, Scarface kind of a story.

When you think of Pittsburgh, that's what you think of as everybody, you know, people that are making bread, they want the bread to be the best bread.

The people that, you know, work in the city.

They take pride in their work, everything.

And, and you don't get that so much in Los Angeles, the people of Pittsburgh, the right to work with.

Yeah, it's in LA.

It's a nuisance when you're there.

So here people are excited.

They want to come and see what you're doing.

They want to be a part of it.

I can't go on any longer without discussing the head of the table.

What are you talking about?

I mean, I'm hoping this is a prop.

What's the deal?

Yes.

This is the last guy that wouldn't fund one of our movies for us.

Now this action.

This is, Yeah, this is a prop from, hack.

In the beginning of it, he actually is running away from danger.

And just when he thinks he's safe, his, cable wire comes in and slices his head off, and it goes because rolling away.

Tell me, what are your favorite things about working in Pittsburgh now after working in L.A.

for nine years?

Basically, being able to live here is the best part of it.

The best part is definitely the crews.

I mean, they're just wonderful.

It's a combined vision.

I mean, the four partners, you know, Bryan and Ben and Mike, myself all kind of have a vision, of where this company is going, and it's, it's horizontal and vertical growth.

It's certainly making our own movies and continually doing that, but it's it's helping out actually all the, the entire region.

Our goal is to do as many feature films here in Pittsburgh as possible.

We want to, you know, stimulat the economy here in Pittsburgh.

We want to make it better than it ever was for movies in Pittsburgh.

I mean, it' we have a real opportunity here to try and make something happen.

In addition to their completed film, Bridge to Nowhere, directed by Blair Underwood, Smithfield Street Productions has several other projects in the works.

For more information about their upcoming films and local production, log on to our website.

Wqed.org/OnQ.

as this region's year long celebration of Pittsburgh's 250th birthday unfolds, you're bound to discover a few things about the area that you never knew.

For instance, did you know that McDonald's famous big Mac was invented right here in western Pennsylvania?

It was and OnQs Dave and Dave recently spent some time in one of a kind local McDonald's where the Big Mac gets big honors.

We're at the Big Mac Museum i North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Now you have a special connection to the Big Mac itself, right?

Yeah.

My dad invented the, sandwich in 1967.

He was a McDonald's franchisee for Pennsylvania.

Early on, I think he was th only franchisee in Pennsylvania.

And, he felt that they needed a larger sandwich to, compete with, you know, the other, hamburger places around.

Asked McDonald's for a couple of years if he could try it.

And they kept saying no.

And so finally he got them to agree to, to let him, you know, develop it.

But they said you have to use all the ingredients that came in your store.

The big thing was a bun.

If you put it between a regular hamburger.

But it was really messy, you know, the lettuce and all that and slogged around.

So he did that double cut bu bottom, the middle on the top, and that held everything together.

Since they did that, they began selling and sold really well in Uniontown.

Then they di the whole market in Pittsburgh, and then they went national in 1968 as a Western Pennsylvania thing.

First, it was first Big Mac.

The was service in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

You didn't get a Big Mac today.

Now we know I got a Big Mac fries and Coke.

Now, did you get a Big Mac because it's the Big Mac Museu or do you always get a Big Mac?

I always get a Big Mac.

Do you ever get Big Macs?

No.

Can I have some of your drink?

Yeah, nothing, but I get.

What is that?

Maggie's.

What is it?

Chicken nuggets.

Chicken nuggets?

I've been eating Big Macs longer than you've been alive.

I guess it's what I grew up on.

I remember, when they first came out.

I remember a t shirt as a kid.

I'll tell you what.

I drove a truck for 15 years, and I lived on these things.

Daddy supposed to be on a diet, but it goes out the window whenever I come here.

Does it surprise you that the Big Mac was invented right here in western Pennsylvania?

You know, I was surprised when I found that out myself.

Now, is this the most popular menu item for McDonald's?

It's the most popular named sandwich in the world.

They sold billion Big Macs a year throughout the world in 113 countries.

So you're from the town that invented the Big Mac.

How does that feel?

You know what?

I have a lot of friend and family in Philadelphia, and, and I. That's one of the bragging things that I tell them that I'm in the hometown of the Big Mac Museum, and I can only hope it will increase the property value here in North Huntingdon as well.

Tell us about this building.

Well, this is the one of a kind building.

And and this is a combinatio of what McDonald's new buildings like and the old style arches from way back.

This is the only building they'll ever built like this.

Do you realize you're eating in a museum?

I do.

So what are some of the things we can see inside the museum?

There's a map wall.

It's 27ft wide, and it shows all the countries that Big Macs are served in.

In India, they don't use beef.

They call it the Maharajah Mac.

And I think it's made with lamb or something else.

And also we have, different displays of packaging, but the Big Mac has gone through also some different toys and things some history about the marketing aspects of jingles, like to all beef patties, special sauce.

That's that jingle where it started, the Big Mac jingle back in the day.

I remember those commercials.

Yes, two all beef patties about sauce, lettuce, cheese, onions, pickles.

Do you know the McDonald's jingle now?

Special sauce, lettuce, cheese and a pickle.

That's it.

Something, somethin something on a sesame seed bun.

I think you're missing onions.

There's something.

Onions?

That's right.

I think he even left a coupl somethings out, I probably did.

You could do that under four seconds.

They used to give you a free one too.

All beef patties, special sauce, sliced cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

Okay.

And why do you notice I had a t shirt like that when I was a little girl?

Really?

Yes.

You still had the shirt?

No, it wouldn't fit me.

No.

So you actually know what's in the special sauce, right?

Yeah, I can tell you, but I have to kill you.

Do you ever wonder what's in the secret sauce?

Yeah.

How many people know?

I gues everyone at the McDonald's know.

I think there's mayonnaise and pickles and onions, and I'm not sure, but it almost tastes like there's a little bit of sour cream in there that comes in already prepackaged.

So they used to have to mix in the stores.

Tell us about this very large Big Mac behind us.

Well, it's 14ft tall and it's 12ft wide.

It's certainly the world's largest Big Mac.

You ever got your picture take with a giant burger back there?

No, I haven't not yet on my daughter's house.

We were coming back on the turnpike and we saw the sig for the world's biggest Big Mac.

And we thought, let's just mak do something fun on this trip.

So here we are to get our picture taken.

Actually, he made a joke about, well, maybe we'll take a picture in front of the world's largest tacos.

It's funny that it ended up being the Big Mac, so I have to ask was it the world's biggest part for the Big Mac part that got you here?

It was It was the world's biggest park.

I mean, how could you miss an opportunity to see something like that?

Well, now that you're side t side with it, what do you think?

It's, quite an imposing.

Do you have any idea why there's a giant Big Mac here at this location?

My understanding is this is the place the Big Mac was originally invented.

I'll be 58 and nine days, and now my life is complete.

Do yo ever have any kids come in here and try and take a big bite out of it?

They they do try to take a big bite every every once in a while.

Nobody's, succeeded as of yet.

Have they ever tried to climb it?

Yes.

Yeah.

You know, when you drive pas it, it was a, they drive here.

They thought it was something to play with.

Not.

It's not someone who's like a pitcher.

I mean, is in the player.

You would think you could scale it at some point.

It's a big tease for the kids.

Do you find it that people are surprised that the Big Mac, quintessential American icon food item, was invented right here in Pennsylvania?

It surprises a lot of people.

Hey, tourist attraction.

Dave and.

Dave, tell us the man who invented the Big Mac, Michael James Delligatti.

He turns 90 this year, and apparently he still likes to step behind the counter and make sure the sandwich he created continues to be made the right way.

How about tha 90 years old?

He's back there.

90 years old.

The ma changed the face of the world.

Yes he did.

I'm totally getting a Big Mac on the way home.

And he has a coupon for me.

Two for one, and I' going to take advantage of it.

I'm getting two.

You can have one.

Don't worry about it.

All right.

That's going to do it for us tonight.

Tomorrow night.

Tune in for a special half hour episode on The Last Lecture.

It's a story about a CMU professor, doctor Randy Pausch, who is battling cancer and whose last lecture has been seen by more than 6 million internet viewers.

That's tomorrow night at 7:30.

Until next time for Tonia Caruso and everyone here at On Q, I'm Michael Bartley.

Thanks for watching and good night.