Cybathlon

Overview

Launched in 2013 by Robert Riener, Full Professor of Sensorimotor Systems in the Department of Health Sciences and Technology at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich).

The first championship organised by ETH Zurich took place in 2016, and the next one will be held in May 2020!

Concept and objectives

Issue: Assistive technologies can make daily life easier for people with disabilities, but do these devices really meet the needs of their users?

  • Assistive systems: Technologies often lack practical functionality.
  • New technologies may not be used or even accepted.
  • In public places, barriers often make the use of assistive technologies cumbersome or even impossible.

The objectives of Cybathlon are:

  • To serve as a platform to advance research on these technologies for everyday use and to promote dialogue with the public.
  • To serve as a platform for exchange between people with disabilities, technology developers and the general public.
  • Inform and raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities on a daily basis
  • Promote the development and implementation of assistive technologies.

Courses and disciplines

The racing frame is designed to test the ability of a technology to help its user in his daily tasks (e.g. climbing stairs, opening doors, …). In each discipline, several drivers compete simultaneously. Tasks and rules are defined in detail for each discipline. The most important thing is that the pilots perform the tasks correctly and safely.

The 6 disciplines of Cybathlon

  • Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Stroke
  • Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Bike Race
  • Stroke of motorized arm prostheses
  • Motorized leg prosthesis stroke
  • Motorized exoskeleton race
  • Motorized wheelchair racing

Cybathlon 2016, some figures

  • 66 drivers in 56 teams from 25 nations in the 6 disciplines.
  • 4,600 visitors (full arena), including 60 wheelchair users. More than 90 % declared themselves very satisfied with the event.
  • More than 500 print runs in magazines and newspapers with a high circulation (New York Times for example).
  • More than 4,500 video reports made by teams, visitors and media agents.
  • Documentaries (on Arte, BBC, CNN, …) and publications in scientific journals (Nature for example).

 

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