Background image: © WienTourismus/Christian Stemper
Event Information
Date: 16.09.2025
Location: Altes AKH (Hof 3)
Perliminary Schedule
14:00 - 16:00h : Meet the Teams & Testruns
16:00- 18:00h : Qualifications
18:30 - 19:00h : Finals
19:15 - 19:30h : Medal Ceremony
Background
A spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting in the complete loss of lower limb motor control leads to the degradation of the musculoskeletal system of the lower limbs, including muscle atrophy and loss of bone mineral density.
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technology that uses electrical pulses to elicit action potentials in sensory and motor nerves, thus, exciting skeletal muscles that are paralysed. Regular FES cycling exercise after SCI has been shown to lead to beneficial physiological adaptations such as improvements in bone density, an increase of muscle mass, and improved muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. Besides the application of FES cycling in rehabilitation, it can be of high recreational value to people with SCI. Furthermore, FES can be combined with other assistive technologies such as powered exoskeletons. This allows merging the movement control advantages of a robotic device with the physiological benefits provided by FES. Furthermore, the use of FES hence bears the promising potential to counter some of the deleterious effects to the musculoskeletal system of the lower limbs after SCI, such as osteoporosis, decubitus or spasticity.
In this race the pilots are invited to participate in a ~460 m midrange race on a flat asphalt track, with a rolling start, after conduction a start from stand-still within a specified starting area. In the starting area, the pilot might use his hands, arms or trunk to start from stand-still. The race and time measurement will be started after crossing the starting line. Please note, that the starting line has to be crossed at low speed (max. 5 km/h) and that further usage of the arms after the starting line is prohibited during the race.
Specifications
| Race location (GPS) | N48.21778286207398, E16.35292515158834 |
|---|---|
| Track length | 230 m |
| Number of Laps | 2 |
| Total race length | ~460 m |
| Type of race | Head-on-head race (2 pilots) |
| Race mode | Best out of 3 races |
| Track material | Asphalt |
| Track profile | Mostly flat with slight inclines and declines (< ±1%) |
| Time limit | 5 min |
| Min. required average speed | 5.5 km/h |
| Starting area | 10 m |
| Max. speed at Start | 5 km/h |
Race description
WarmUp
Prior to the race, pilots are encouraged to perform a warm-up routine in order to prevent potential injuries and prepare the muscles for the race. The warm-up procedure can either be performed stationary on a hometrainer or overground outside of the racing area. The warm-up procedure is not part of the race.
Starting procedure
The pilot must start from a stand-still position within a designated starting area. Inside the starting area, the usage of hands, arm or trunk is allowed to initiate the movement. The start needs to be performed exclusively by the pilot without the support of other team-members.
Race prodecure
After a clear audible start signal, pilots are allowed to initiate the starting procedure. The pilot should exit the starting area within 30 s. Please note that the START line has to be crossed at a low speed (max. 5km/h). The pilot has to cover a total of 2 laps within a time limit of 5 min. Time measurement starts when the first wheel is crossing the START line. The time measurement stops when the first wheel is crossing the FINISH line or when the time limit is reached.
The race track is divided into 20 segments of equal distance (i.e. 10 segments per lap). In case the pilot did not finish the entire length of the track within the specified time limit, the last segment successfully covered will be counted. Each segment covered will be scored 5 Points, amounting to a total of 100 Points. All pilots will be ranked according to the points achieved. In case of equal points, the time required will determine the ranking. In case of equal points and time, the pilots will be assigned the same rank.
Qualification
Each pilot will be allowed a total of 3 runs. For the ranking only the best run is counted.
Finals
The four highest-ranked pilots from the qualification will be invited to the final races. The finals will follow a knockout format. Based on the qualification ranking, Rank 1 will compete against Rank 3, while Rank 2 will compete against Rank 4. The winners of these races will advance to the final to determine 1st and 2nd place. The remaining two pilots will compete in a separate race to determine 3rd and 4th place.
Registration
To register for this event, please send an email to martin.schmoll@meduniwien.ac.at.
Registration Fee
| Regular | 150 € per pilot |
|---|---|
| Universities | 100 € per pilot |
Important: This is an outdoor event. In case of bad weather, the location or date/time may be changed in coordination with the participating teams.
Contact
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Martin Schmoll
Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering
Medical University of Vienna
Partners
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