October 31, 2016 | October 2016 issue
October 31, 2016 | The first ever competition combining technology and human sport took place on October 8 at the SWISS Arena in Zurich, Switzerland. With 66 teams representing 25 countries, this competition broke new ground in the next generation of athletic competition. In recent years the organizers of the Paralympic Games have struggled with technology advances in prosthetic limbs and stimulation for muscle conditioning and how they fit into the current competitive environment. However, the Cybathlon 2016 took a different approach by embracing technology to improve human competitive performance.
Before a sold-out crowd, athletes tested their skills in six different disciplines while demonstrating to the world how novel technologies can not only assist people with disabilities in their daily lives but perform at a high level of competition. The idea for the event was sparked by Robert Riener, professor for sensory-motor systems at ETH Zurich. The premise for this competition is to bring together academia, industry, developers, and people with disabilities while promoting the technologies to the general public.
Sporting performances included six disciplines in six different technology areas. The powered arm prosthetics competitors raced to solve six tasks while manipulating their prosthetic devices. Robert Radocy of Team DIPO Power from Delft University of Technology took the gold. Helgi Sveinsson of Team Ossur RheoKnee came out on top in the powered leg prosthesis race. Also maneuvering an obstacle course were powered exoskeleton racers. Athletes with paralysis donned lower limb robotics. Taking home the gold was Andre Van Rueschen of Team ReWalk.
Mark Muhn of Team Cleveland won the FES bike race, while Numa Poujouly of Switzerland won the BCI virtual race.
