Osaka Team wins Special Award at Cybathlon: The Tech and Ideals Inspiring a Compact Wheelchair

A crowd of 7,000 spectators packed the Swiss Arena for Cybathlon 2024. (© Ochi Takao)

The Osaka Electro-Communication University powered wheelchair incorporates height adjustment technology. (© Ochi Takao)

The British Columbia Institute of Technology powered wheelchair took first place. Its hefty size stood out from the crowd. (© Ochi Takao)

OECU team leader Professor Jeong. (© Ochi Takao)

The OECU team members at the award ceremony. (© Ochi Takao)

Cybathlon cofounder Robert Riener watching the competition. (© Ochi Takao)

The BCI competition uses headgear to read brainwave signals. This, the third competition, was won by an American team using chips directly implanted in the pilot’s brain. (© Ochi Takao)