News

SRF news reports in an article on the newly established ParaWG, which was developed with the assistance of RESC.

In Switzerland’s first inclusive 'ParaWG'-flatshare, students from ETH Zurich live alongside people with spinal cord injuries. It is hoped that the students will draw on this experience to help make the world more accessible for disabled people. 

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is partnering with Optohive, a 2025 spin-off from ETH Zurich developing next-generation wearable brain imaging solutions. Optohive’s platform combines high-resolution fNIRS (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) technology with AI-powered analytics to deliver objective, real-time brain monitoring—bridging the gap between research and clinical care.

Discover impact through interactive exhibits and engaging conversations - Join us in networking and celebrating international, cross-disciplinary research collaborations

How can technology, design, and the arts come together to create spaces and systems that are truly inclusive? This interdisciplinary podium discussion moderated by 2025 Thomas Mann Fellow Robert Riener explores how we can bridge not only physical barriers, but also disciplinary divides—uniting perspectives from robotics, architecture, rehabilitation, and performance to imagine new pathways toward accessibility and inclusion.

Last year's highlights include funding research projects to enhance rehabilitation technologies, involvement in a national neurorehabilitation project, and developing new educational formats. We deeply appreciate our partners, collaborators, and the RESC community for their unwavering support. Together, we are advancing the field, making a lasting difference in many lives.

The ETH RESC – Swiss Paraplegic Foundation research programme funded a promising project aimed at developing novel sensing technology and artificial intelligence methods for monitoring autonomic dysregulation for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI).

RehabCoach is a platform for unsupervised rehabilitation hosted by the ETH RELab. By combining wearable robots with artificial intelligence systems, RehabCoach complements rehabilitation models and improves the continuum of care. The project has been selected twice for funding in a RESC research programme and is now published in Suva Medical.

Roger Gassert, professor for rehabilitation engineering at ETH Zurich, and Desiree Beck, project and education manager at RESC, recently had the opportunity to discuss the new Major in Rehabilitation and Inclusion at ETH Zurich, highlighting how it trains students to integrate rehabilitation technology with medicine.

Farewell of Prof. Armin Curt and Markus Gautschi as members of the RESC Steering Committee and Advisory Board and welcome of Prof. Patrick Freund to the RESC Steering Committee

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is pleased to welcome Mohamed Bouri, Franziska Felder, Patrick Freund, Inge Herrmann and Carla Sabariego as new members.

By participating in the Leg Prosthesis Race at CYBATHLON 2024, we showcased the performance of the commercially available prosthesis Ottobock Genium X3 – individually adapted to the pilot’s needs.

The RESC Symposium 2024 took place in the framework of the National Rehabilitation Congress at the Technopark Zürich and was co-organized by the Swiss Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SGPMR) and RESC.

The ETH RESC – Suva research programme funded two promising projects to strengthen outpatient and residential (near home/workplace) rehabilitation with a focus on people with accident-related injury.

Dive into our achievements and highlights in 2023.

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is partnering with SKAALTEC, an early stage, pre-incorporated spinoff at ETH Zurich pioneering neuroscience-based healthcare solutions, such as the SmartVNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation). SmartVNS seamlessly integrates neurostimulation and wearables, supporting recovery both in the clinic and at home. SmartVNS seeks to transform daily living into cutting-edge neural therapy for faster and more accessible recovery.

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is pleased to welcome Meret Branscheidt and Sarah Ebling as new members.

RESC hosts public symposium to explore the interaction of health, technology, and architecture

RESC hosted a panel discussion together with the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) and participated in a collaborative workshop organized by the Lake Lucerne Institute (LLUI), RehabWeek is a week-long conference that brings together different conferences in the field of rehabilitation technology at the same time and place in order to foster cross-disciplinary communication and the development of relationships between different players.

At this year's ETH Industry Day, the RESC was on location with the following projects: Reto Togni with Hands-​free wheelchair steering, Spinal Cord Injury & Artificial Intelligence Lab, Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab

The annual Partnership Council has been held at the honorable Villa Hatt. We extend our gratitude to all our strategic partners and interested participants for strengthening the ETH Zurich Rehab Initiative, RESC ETH Zurich, and Cybathlon.

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is partnering with Frei Swiss AG, a full-​service provider for physiotherapists, physicians, and rehabilitation centres with over 40 years of experience in the development and distribution of professional medical therapy and training equipment.

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is partnering with F&P Robotics, a pioneer in collaborative robotics. F&P develops highly-​skilled robots, which are able to learn and assist humans in an adaptive, personalised manner, thus providing a safe and secure environment for users.

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is pleased to welcome its newly elected members Chris Awai, Florian Freislederer, and Christian Lanz.

ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) is pleased to welcome Dr. med. Serge Reichlin, EMBA, CEO of the Barmelweid Gruppe AG to its Advisory Board. Dr. Reichlin's expertise in the healthcare system will greatly benefit the RESC network.