CYBATHLON Challenge is Back

Photo credit: ETH/Alessandro Della Bella

The CYBATHLON Challenge, the race that is all about creating a world without barriers through assistive technology, has kicked off again.

An initiative of Swiss university ETH Zürich, the Cybathlon sees teams from across the globe – consisting of technology developers together with a participant who has a disability – compete in various disciplines that showcase assistive technologies built for everyday use. 

Teams are tasked with solving a range of everyday tasks using new assistive systems, across events such as the Arm and Leg Prosthesis Race, Wheelchair Race, Exoskeleton Race, Vision Assistance Race, Assistance Robot Race, Brain-Computer Interface Race and the Functional Electrical Stimulation Bike Race.

This year’s challenge is a precursor to a larger competition in 2024.

“The CYBATHLON Challenges encourage the development teams to test their devices at an early stage to participate in the CYBATHLON 2024,” said CYBATHLON Co-Director and Head of Competition, Roland Sigrist in a press statement.

“The goal is to foster collaboration in the development process between the development teams and the pilots, [that is] the people with disabilities participating in the competition, from the very beginning.” 

 Registrations are now open for CYBATHLON 2024, which takes place in October next year.