BBC Knowledge 2017 02

17

LET THE

CYBER

GAMES

BEGIN!

On 8 October, 2016, the city of

Zurich in Switzerland played host

to the first ever Cybathlon, which

saw disabled athletes from around

the world competing against each

other. Unlike the Paralympics,

though, the Cybathlon is as much

about showcasing technologies

such as prosthetics and robotics

as it is about winning medals. One

event, for instance, saw paraplegics

competing in a specially-designed

computer game using brain-

computer interfaces, as shown by

Sebastian Reul of German team

Athena-Minerva in this image.

Another event involved bicycles

that could be pedalled by someone

with no movement in their legs,

using a technology called functional

electrical stimulation. There were

also more familiar races for those

with prosthetic arms or legs, and for

wheelchair users.

INNOVATIONS

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

February 2017 29