2020

2020 was a special year with many challenges but also  opportunities to try out new ways. We thank all our collaborators and partners for an amazing year with many highlights despite the challenges. We wish you relaxing holidays and a happy and most importantly healthy New Year!

CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition In total, 51 teams from 20 countries competed against each other, completing everyday tasks with the help of state-​of-the-art assistance systems. Due to the Covid-​19 pandemic, the teams competed for the first time in different time zones and locations. Apart from the winning teams, the technological advances attracted the most attention, as the also promote social inclusion.

The Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) at ETH Zürich is an interdisciplinary network of experts from the science community, industry and service providers, policy makers, and individuals living with a physical disability. Among other things the film presents the project of Jessica Gantenbein  

It is not easy to control an exoskeleton and be carried by it. It takes a lot of faith in the technology – and further research is required. What does Werner Witschi hope the future will bring in terms of further developments?

Read in this exciting article in "Technik und Wissen" why cooperation with an industrial partner (Trumpf Schweiz) and the "Ostschweizer Fachhochschule (OST)" is important for the development of the "VariLeg enhanced" exoskeleton.

The VariLeg team and Werner Witschi train with the exoskeleton. They achieve an initial success: Werner Witschi’s improved physical awareness. However, another result of the therapy with the exoskeleton outshines them all. For some years now, it has been possible to control prosthetics via muscle impulses.  

The ETH Library has produced a video campaign for the CYBATHLON. Three indidividual episodes illustrate the history, current state of research and future of prostheses and orthoses. The videos feature Werner Witschi, a CYBATHLON 2016 exoskeleton pilot who participated in and supported several research projects at ETH, Profs. Robert Riener, Stanisa Raspopovic and Roger Gassert, and the VariLeg gait exoskeleton.

Jan Dittli presents the RELab tenoexo today at the Digitalplatform at Technorama Winterthur together with his virtual buddy.

The CYBATHLON Symposium 2020 focused on the topic of Promoting User-Driven Design and Evaluation of Assistive Technology. It brought together international researchers from different scientific backgrounds around the six disciplines of the CYBATHLON, featuring six keynote lectures by senior experts, as well as eight short presentations by junior talents.

In view of the current international situation we have decided to organise the CYBATHLON and CYBATHLON Symposium 2020 in a new global format, mixing virtual and physical races and events.

Congratulations to Matteo Cognolato for successfully defending his PhD thesis titled "Multimodal data fusion to improve the control of myoelectric prosthetic hands."! We look forward to cheering with you physically!

Our tenoexo soft hand exoskeleton for grasping assistance and WHEELIE self-stabilizing power wheelchair projects are featured in last week's Video Friday of the IEEE Spectrum!

In view of the current national and international situation it has been decided not to proceed with the CYBATHLON 2020 in its original format on 19–20 September 2020. After consulting the participating teams, the decision was made together by the ETH Zurich and the CYBATHLON Organising Committee.

Many companies have replaced manual labour with machines and robots. However, there are still many jobs where full automation is not possible or simply not desired. Auxivo, an ETH spin-​off from the Rehabilitation Engineering Lab, develops exoskeletons for industrial applications to support workers who frequently lift and carry heavy objects.

Congratulations to Dominik Wyser for successfully defending his PhD thesis titled "Towards fNIRS-based monitoring of brain activity in daily life: Development and evaluation of optoHIVE"! We look forward to cheering with you physically!

Congratulations to Christoph Kanzler for successfully defending his PhD thesis titled "Selection, validation, and clinical application of digital health metrics for the assessment of upper limb sensorimotor impairments"! We look forward to cheering with you physically!

It is important that social contacts are maintained even during the lockdown. Therefore we organize a weekly virtual coffee break via Zoom App.

Hands are our most important tools. Many stroke survivors struggle with a serious loss of function in their affected hand. ETH researchers are developing innovative solutions to help people in rehabilitation – and in everyday life. In the current issue of the Globe magazine Roger Gassert talks about "HEADING HOME WITH A REHAB ROBOT"

ETH Zurich has decided to postpone the Cybathlon until 19–20 September 2020. The safety and health of all those involved in this major international event takes top priority.

ETH Zurich’s Rehabilitation Initiative is now taking shape with a newly founded competence center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC). The center will establish an interdisciplinary network with all the necessary expertise to develop a holistic approach for the comprehensive management of movement impairments.