A survey on the influence of CYBATHLON on the development and acceptance of advanced assistive technologies.
Jan T Meyer, Selina Weber, Lukas Jäger and 3 others
PMID 35366930WHAT IT FOUND
Only a quarter of pilots use their competition assistive device in daily life, despite high reported satisfaction.
Main barriers are lack of access, cost, and comfort rather than the device failing to work. Technical leads rated usability lower than the users themselves.
Key findings
01Only 25.7% of pilots reported using their CYBATHLON-specific device in everyday life outside of competition-related activities.
02The main factors preventing daily use were limited accessibility, non-availability, or excessive costs, not the device's core effectiveness.
03Pilots reported moderate to high satisfaction with usability (mean 3.98 on a 5-point scale), while technical leads rated the same devices significantly lower.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study is a cross-sectional survey, so it cannot prove that user-centered design causes better device usability or performance. The sample is small and specific to a competition environment, meaning the devices are often prototypes or modified for racing rather than commercially available products. Pilots in the CYBATHLON are likely more motivated and technologically skilled than the general population of assistive technology users, which may bias satisfaction scores upward. Response biases such as social desirability may have influenced how positively pilots rated their own involvement and the devices they helped develop.
Declared interests
The study was funded by several organizations including the Vontobel-Stiftung, the National Centre of Competence in Research Robotics, the ETH Zürich Foundation, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. No individual financial conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high satisfaction scores indicate a device is ready for daily clinical use. The pilots in this study were highly motivated competitors using devices optimized for specific races, and only a quarter used them in daily life. Lack of access and comfort issues were the main barriers, not the device's technical ability to perform tasks.