Inclusive Design: ETH Meets You at the Milano Design Week 2023

What makes an excellent bionic hand? How can I steer a computer with only my thoughts? How can we produce an affordable leg prosthesis that is recyclable? More than 2.5 billion people globally need prosthetic care or an assistive product. ETH Zurich's CYBATHLON is an initiative with a global impact to improve their lives: it challenges teams from all over the world to develop assistive technologies for people with disabilities. At the Milano Design Week, we show their cutting-edge inclusive design solutions.

How do you design, let's say, a good hand? If you needed a new one, what would be vital for you? An arm prosthesis is a very personal body extension. We don't only need our hands and arms to tackle complicated daily tasks; we also use them as a sign of emotional expression in our body language. At the "Inclusive Design" exhibition in Milano, we show design solutions for bionic hands from the CYBATHLON competition. Maria Fossati's external page SoftHand Pro won the silver medal in the Arm Prosthesis Race.  

Imagine tying your shoes with only one hand

Not quite so easy, is it? We all experience barriers. Learn how inclusive technology design can help overcome these obstacles.

Imagine trying to buy yourself a new leg

If you need a new body part but can't afford it: 35 – 40 million people worldwide require prosthetic or orthotic care, but only one in ten people can afford a prosthesis. external page Circleg closes the gap by developing leg prostheses for people in low-income countries. Circleg produces its prostheses in East Africa, close to its beneficiaries, following a circular economy model. Its modular design allows for the customization of each leg, easy fit and fast repair. Circleg has won the CYBATHLON's Leg Prosthesis Race and the external page Design Preis Schweiz.

Imagine controlling a device with only your mind

Try to control a machine with the power of your thoughts. Sounds like science fiction? It has become reality: Brain-computer interface (BCI) enables direct communication between your brain and a computer. It recognizes your brain activity and translates it into computer signals.
A paralyzed person with tetraplegia cannot steer a wheelchair alone, but Brain-computer interface can help to control assistive devices: a wheelchair, a robot, or a smartphone. Challenge yourself and try your mind power in a BCI game, where you steer your avatar with... just your thoughts. 

CYBATHLON, catalyst for inclusion

CYBATHLON is an ETH Zurich flagship project. Its core aspect, the promotion of user-centred design for people with a disability, serves as a catalyser for the inclusion of people with disabilities in society. The driving force behind it is an international competition: CYBATHLON challenges 160 international teams to tackle various everyday tasks with their latest designs of assistive technologies. CYBATHLON is innovation and emotion – an ambitious and supportive, joyful competition where everyone shares a common vision: A world without barriers.