From Switzerland to the world
Taking part in Cybathlon 2024 were 9 teams from Switzerland and 4 from ETH Zurich. Teams from Europe, Asia, and Africa also travelled to Zurich for the competitions; 6’000 visitors were there to support the international teams and cheer on the pilots. A further 10 teams connected virtually from hubs in the US, Canada, Hungary, Korea, Thailand and South Africa, turning it into a globally networked event. In addition, around 15’500 visitors worldwide tuned in to follow the Cybathlon virtually.Two new disciplines celebrated their premiere
Cybathlon pilots competed against each other in a total of eight disciplines. There was a virtual race with thought control, a bicycle race with electrical muscle stimulation, and obstacle courses with prosthetic arms, prosthetic legs, robotic exoskeletons, and motorised wheelchairs. This year, two new disciplines were held for the first time: an obstacle course for vision assistive technologies and an Assistant Robot Race. These disciplines, once again, showed what a range of different technical solutions that the teams presented, including robotic arms mounted on wheelchairs and even a kind of robotic guide dog. In the Vision Assistance Race, teams presented a chest harness with a handle that guides the pilot via kinaesthetic feedback, as well as an intelligent cane for the blind and a special app for smartphones.
Samuel Kunz, who completed the course together with a four-legged robot and is competing as a pilot for the second time, says, "I really enjoy taking part in the Cybathlon because I can push myself, compete with others, and achieve something together as a team. I am particularly pleased that there are no losers in this competition: Every participation advances research and brings us one step closer to an improved life for many people."
A successful event and its future
"The Cybathlon impressively demonstrated how important it is to have people at the centre of technology development," says Robert Riener, initiator of the Cybathlon and professor at ETH Zurich. "We create the best technological solutions when we incorporate the needs of users into the development of assistive technologies right from the start." Anni Kern, co-director of the Cybathlon, was also pleased with how the event went this year, "Each time, what really moves me is the camaraderie at the Cybathlon. This positive impetus not only enables us to drive technological development forward, but also to draw attention to the needs of people with disabilities."
