Events, Highlights, 16th of October 2020
100 children and teenagers aged between 11 and 15 took part in the CYBATHLON @school autumn camps at the Innovation Park Zurich in Dübendorf and the Pestalozzi Children's Village in Trogen. They immersed themselves into the world of robotics, medicine and product development and experienced how modern technology connects people and what an exoskeleton is!
Each week 50 kids got to know the elbow exoskeleton "Flexo". They used the various sensors to measure muscle contractions and brain waves and learned about the functions of the exoskeleton. Before they themselves could dive into product development, Dr. Stephan Fox
from the ETH Zurich Chair of Product Development & Engineering Design shared his own experiences and prototypes. Soon after that, real action followed!
Divided into teams, the kids scaled for 3D printing, designed prototypes for a gripper and worked their way into programming. On Wednesday afternoon we received the visit of the HSR enhanced team and their electric stair climbing wheelchair. The young engineers could experience live what new technologies are being developed and why many teams are working so enthusiastically towards CYBATHLON.
After a delicious lunch from Mario and his Greeny Foodtruck, the kids were lucky to meet our ambassadors Hitzi and Armin, who could share their experiences living their life with physical impairements and the challenges the face on a daily basis.
With the support of Hitzi, who drives in a wheelchair, and Armin, who walks on two prosthetic legs, the kids were sent on different obstacle courses wearing either a leg prosthesis or a blindfold and later on driving a wheelchair. The two ambassadors gave them the necessary tips and tricks to help them getting through the courses. Once the courses were completed, Hitzi and Armin happily answered the many questions the kids had for them.
The radio bus from the Pestalozzi Children's Village, Powerup Radio
was with ua on site at the Innovation Park throughout the week. Some of the children created their own programmes, such as interviews with the ambassadors.
At the end of the week parents, relatives and some of our partners joined us to witness a competition between the teams, demonstrating and confronting the ability of their unique prototypes, under the moderation of Rüdiger Böhm. A thrilling event, all the way until the end.
At the camp in Trogen, 50 children and teens also developed and programmed their own grippers for Flexo. Their mission and the competition were the same as in Dübendorf. The overnight accommodation, the beautiful location, the varied activities and the warm atmosphere, made the CYBATHLON @school camps in the Children's Village very special. In the village, the motto is: "Leisure and fun are just as important as the programme itself".
In the Pestalozzi village the children and teens live in a warehouse. At the end of the day, after the CYBATHLON @school programme, there is enough time for games and sports: beach volleyball, basketball, football and slacklining and so much more. And for those who like it cozy, there are thousands of comfortable areas where it is nice to read and chill out.
