Competitors power up for cyborg Olympics
Competitors in the world’s first ‘bionic Olympics’ are booting up their robotic exoskeletons, battery powered arms and wheelchairs as they get ready to compete in next month’s Cybathlon.
The Zurich-based event is open to people with physical disabilities who make use of technology to enhance their lives, by performing everyday activities such as slicing bread, climbing stairs and hanging washing.
Competitor Kevin Evison said: “Disability sport is very much in the public eye thanks to the success of the London Paralympics, but people don't see the struggles people with disabilities or physical weakness face every day.”
One of the most ambitious events will see paralysed players battle against each other in a video game controlled solely by the power of thought, with head mounted electrodes translating electrical activity in the brain into on-screen actions of an avatar.
The event, organised by Swiss University ETH Zurich, isn’t all fun and games however, with the ultimate goal of the event being to encourage engineers to craft more ergonomic and powerful aids.