Portrait photo of CYBATHLON Team

WHL / Wheelchair Race

Logo SCEWO

Scewo

SwitzerlandSwitzerland

About the Team

Scewo is a spin-off of ETH Zurich. The development of the two-wheeled, self-balancing wheelchair started in 2014 as a student project of the now CEO of Scewo and team manager of the CYBATHLON team Bernhard Winter. In 2016 Scewo participated with a prototype in the CYBATHLON but got eliminated early. In the CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition, they have implemented a robot arm, especially for the task "ramp and door". So, the competition version of the Scewo Bro was still a bit of a prototype.

For the CEO Bernhard Winter, one thing is essential: "For pedestrians, it’s natural to visit places spontaneously and without any help – we want to offer this to wheelchair users as well. We want to take them to places they have never been before in a wheelchair."

CYBATHLON athlete smiles at the camera

About the Pilot

For Christian Rusterholz, sport is part of everyday life alongside his work: "I’m riding my handbike several times a week and play para-badminton. I used to play soccer and ice hockey and was involved in caving." In 2003 he was diagnosed with MS, and until 2008 he had no symptoms, but after that, his walking got steadily worse. For seven years now, he is in a wheelchair, when he has to move. "The training is a challenge, theoretically you just sit and ride, but for the device and its technology as well as for the pilot, it’s very demanding." At CYBATHLON he is fascinated by its history, technology and development. "I happened to see it on TV in 2016 and thought it was absolutely fantastic." For him to join a team, it took another coincidence: He came in contact with the group Scewo during rehabilitation at the Valendas Clinic, which is a partner of Scewo.

About the Device

Different from most of the other motorised wheelchairs, the Scewo Bro is not a prototype but ready for serial production, so far the only known wheelchair worldwide which is rolling on two wheels only and can climb stairs. It’s characterised by agility on even ground, safety on stairs and the compact design. Different driving modes enable the pilot to get along on varying terrain and in all kinds of situations.

Videos

November 12th 2020, 11:00 pm

Scewo - Team Portrait

November 12th 2020, 11:00 pm

Scewo - Bernhard Winter

Impressions

Man overcomes various obstacles with an automated wheelchair
Man overcomes uneven terrain with an automated wheelchair
Man rides automated wheelchair, down stairs
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