CYBATHLON 2024

BCIs have a wide range of potential applications in daily life, from operating a computer menu to communications and controlling an assistive device, such as a robotic arm or a wheelchair.

The BCI race takes place in the BCI game, i.e., a digitally animated scenario (computer game) in which the pilots must solve tasks by sending the appropriate commands at the right time.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technology that uses electrical pulses to stimulate skeletal muscles that are paralysed due to an injury to the central nervous system. Regular FES cycling exercise after a SCI has been shown to lead to beneficial physiological adaptations such as improvements in bone density, an increase in muscle mass, and improved cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. Besides the application of FES cycling in rehabilitation, it can be of high recreational value to people with SCI.

A limb difference at the level of the forearm or above may lead to significant challenges when interacting with the physical environment. While many of the latest anthropomorphic hand prostheses provide a wide variety of grip patterns, their use and range of functions are often not fully satisfying for their users. The devices still lack some of the fundamental functionalities of a human hand such as wrist flexion and extension or the control of individual fingers.

Leg prostheses which mimic and enable the natural function of the human legs bear the potential to optimally support their users. Leg prostheses that can be controlled intuitively and allow for symmetric gait led to better device acceptance by increasing the satisfaction of their users.

Robotic exoskeletons are devices that enable paraplegic individuals to stand upright, walk, or climb and descend stairs. Even though robotic exoskeletons for paraplegics have been in development since the late 1960s and early 1970s, the technology has not matured to a point where the devices are accepted by the end-users.

People with a severe walking disability who uses a powered wheelchair for personal mobility are often confronted with challenges when interacting with their physical environment. Single steps, flights of stairs, or uneven terrain can pose significant obstacles. Depending on a user’s function of the trunk and arms it can also be very arduous to open/close a door or to pick up an object from the ground. Users often must rely on the help of a third person to overcome such situations.

People with severe motor impairments or missing limbs to both the upper and the lower extremities have limited autonomy when interacting with their physical environment resulting from their disability. Tasks such as shopping for groceries independently, eating and drinking, personal hygiene, or dishwashing are just a few examples in which these people might depend on a care person.

People with severe impairment or complete loss of vision lack environmental information compromising their autonomy in completing many activities of daily living across multiple domains. Assistive devices such as smart vision assistants are designed to provide information about the environment by rendering the information to other available senses, such as touch or hearing. While there is a wide range of vision aids available on the market using a variety of approaches, their functions are usually restricted to specific domains or are impractical to use and therefore do not satisfy the user’s needs.