"Cybathlon" International Convention Held Online November 14, 6:26
An international tournament in which people with disabilities compete for various technologies using electric wheelchairs and artificial limbs will be held online due to the influence of the new coronavirus. I did.
Called "Cybathlon," a combination of "cyber" and "athlon," which means competition, the tournament was first held four years ago to improve the skills of assistive devices used by people with disabilities. I did.
This time, which was held online, 53 teams from all over the world participated, of which 3 teams from Japanese universities and others participated in the electric wheelchair section at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Koto-ku, Tokyo.
In the competition, participants with disabilities take on challenges that are required in daily life, such as riding an electric wheelchair up and down 6 steps and using a robot arm to open and close doors. I was there.
Mr. Hiroshi Nojima, who participated in the event, said, "I think we can make better equipment by incorporating various technologies."
In addition, Mr. Musashi Abe, who participated, said, "I hope more people will know about this kind of competition."
Kyoko Suzuki of the Swiss Embassy in Japan, who hosts the tournament in Tokyo, said, "I think that by developing together with engineers and people with disabilities, we can create something that is truly useful. For online distribution. I want you to get familiar with it as a local tournament. "