Cybathlon at Weltklasse Zürich
On Tuesday 27 August, the Cybathlon will make a guest appearance at Weltklasse Zürich in the main station. This will be an opportunity for interested passers-by to find out how the latest technical devices assist people with disabilities in their everyday life.
On August 27, two teams will battle it out in each of four disciplines: competitors with arm prostheses must feel for objects concealed in a box as one of the tests in a dexterity race, while individuals with leg prostheses tackle a very tricky obstacle course, and drivers of powered wheelchairs are tasked with climbing stairs. Then, in the fourth discipline, participants wearing powered exoskeletons are required to sit in an armchair and get up again. These tasks all have one thing in common – they represent everyday challenges for people with disabilities. At the Cybathlon demo competitions in the station concourse, the “pilots” show what can already be achieved using modern assistance systems, and what not yet.
The race sessions will run from 12 – 2 p.m. and 5 – 7 p.m. These will be broadcasted on a giant screen, with experts from the world of technology and athletics providing live commentary. Admission is free for all spectators.
Weltklasse Zürich and ETH Zurich teamed up some time ago for the Cybathlon, with Weltklasse Zürich advising on event implementation right from the first run in 2016. Through the Cybathlon, ETH Zurich seeks to drive forward the development of technical assistance systems in consultation with their users, and to raise awareness of the challenges confronting people with disabilities in everyday life.