CYBATHLON Experience at Swiss Handicap 2022

Around 10,000 visitors discovered numerous innovations, received new and helpful information and experienced a variety of hands-on demos, fun games and activities at the Swiss Handicap fair from 2 to 4 December 2022. CYBATHLON participated in the exhibition with its eight disciplines set for CYBATHLON 2024 presenting hands-on demos, which were a big hit.

After a two-year break, the Swiss Handicap opened its doors to participants and visitors comprising varied programs of events, exhibitions and presentations at the Lucerne Exhibition Center in Lucerne from 2 to 4 December 2022. As the only national trade fair for people with and without disabilities, the Swiss Handicap took up topics related to living with a mental, physical, psychological or sensory disability. About 10,000 visitors discovered numerous innovations, received new and helpful information and experienced a variety of hands-on demos, fun games and activities.

CYBATHLON, perfectly fitting in the frame and program, participated in the exhibition with its eight disciplines set for CYBATHLON 2024 presenting hands-on demos in all the disciplines. The hands-on demos were developed in order to convey the idea behind the CYBATHLON to the public. The exhibition turned out to be surprisingly busy as many people were curious and took the opportunity to get up close and personal with our modern assistance technologies during the demos. It was evident that people wanted to develop a sense of the limits and possibilities of such applications. Even though it was during the weekend, so many people and students from schools came and tried out our demos in different disciplines from Brain-Computer Interface to Vision Assistance to Arm Prosthesis to Leg Prosthesis to Robot Assistance to Wheelchair to the exoskeleton.

The mission of CYBATHLON was to bring assistive technologies closer to the public, make people and school children aware and understand the different types of disabilities, the barriers they go through and the assistance systems they use. All of this was done through fun activities. Some of the activities included mind-controlled games, ordering a robot to make coffee, exploring the surrounding with an intelligent white cane when eyes closed, completing some tasks with a prosthetic arm, walking with a prosthetic leg, and crossing a ramp with a wheelchair.

We are eternally grateful to all the ambassadors who made a huge difference through their presence throughout our exhibition. We were fortunate to have Francisco Taboada and Lukas Hendry for Vision Assistance; Monique Schacher and Jan Bollhalder for Wheelchair; Laurent Garnier, Roland Spahr and Adolf Auf der Mauer for Leg Prosthesis; and Maurin Stübli and Stefan Zimmerman for Arm Prosthesis. They interacted with the public, helped them with demos and imparted invaluable life experiences and knowledge about their use of assistive technologies in day-to-day life, exploring their environment and overcoming various barriers.

CYBATHLON is looking forward to the next Swiss Handicap that will take place between November 29 and December 1, 2024, at the Lucerne Exhibition Centre.