Cybathlon

The Cybathlon is a multi-sport event, an international competition in which people with physical disabilities compete against each other to complete everyday tasks using state-of-the-art technical assistance Systems ("pilots"). Besides the actual competition, the Cybathlon offers a platform to drive forward research on assistance systems for everyday use, and to promote dialogue with the public.
The first Cybathlon organised by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) took place in the Swiss Arena in Kloten north of Zurich in Switzerland on 8 October 2016 and was the first international competition of this kind. 66 pilots from 25 nations competed in front of a stadium with approximately 4600 spectators.
The next Cybathlon takes place on 13–14 November 2020 in a new format at the teams' home base instead of in the Swiss Arena in Kloten, Zurich as it had been planned. This is due to the COVID-19 pandemic which requires measures such as social distancing to be adhered. Termed the "Global Edition", teams will set up their infrastructure for the competition at their home base and capture their races on video instead of competing physically next to each other in Zurich. Cybathlon officials will supervise the pilots which will start individually.
On the first day the qualification rounds will take place, with the finals on the second day. Just like at the premiere, there will be an attractive supporting programme, wherein the visitors can try out the disciplines for themselves and understand the issues surrounding disability in a practical way.
Background.
Robert Riener, head of the professorship for Sensory-Motor Systems at ETH Zurich, initiated the Cybathlon in 2013 as a platform for the development of everyday-suitable assistance systems.
The Cybathlon comes out of a collaboration with the Swiss National Center of Competence in Robotics Research, which intends to use the competition to promote the development and widespread use of bionic technology. The event organised under the umbrella of ETH Zurich is supported financially as well as ideologically by partners and through patronage.
Whereas other international competitions for disabled athletes, such as the Paralympics, only permit competitors to use unpowered assistive technology, the Cybathlon encourages the use of performance-enhancing technology such as powered exoskeletons. 
Teams can compete in six different disciplines. A team always consists of a pilot (person with a disability that meets the inclusion criteria of the respective discipline) and a technology provider (university or company) who work closely together. Currently, the split is about 70% with a university and 30 % with a company background (e.g. manufacturers of commercially available prostheses).
Disciplines.
The six disciplines of Cybathlon 2016 remain the same for Cybathlon 2020 - however, there will be new challenges. Teams compete on courses designed to test how well suited a given technology is to helping its user with everyday tasks, for example climbing stairs or opening doors. In each discipline several pilots compete simultaneously. The tasks and rules are defined in detail for each of the six disciplines. Most important is that the pilots complete the tasks correct, safe and secure. Time comes in as a secondary factor.
Cybathlon 2016.
Medals were awarded to both the athletes themselves and to the companies or institutions that create their bionics.
Competitions were organized in such a way that the participants could demonstrate not only their own skills, but also the distinctive qualities of bionomic tools. For example, in the category of "hand prostheses", competitors attempted several food-related fine motor tasks and in the category "Neuro" the participants managed avatars in a specially designed computer game.
The winners: