Intelligence Empowers Athletes' Dreams at the 4th Asian Para Games

Hangzhou – The 4^th Asian Para Games was officially unrolled on Oct.22 in Hangzhou. As the letter “I” on the forehead of the Mascot “Feifei” signifies, the most remarkable and distinctive feature of this Asian Para Games is its intelligence, especially regarding how high-tech and intelligence empower people with disabilities to achieve their dreams.

The Mascot of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games (Photo/ Mu Xuelin)

At the opening ceremony of the 4^th Asian Para Games, the last torchbearer, Xu Jialing, who was a swimmer from the Chinese swimming team of the 4^th Asian Para Games, held the torch “Laurels” with her brain-controlled bionic hand and lighted the cauldron successfully. How smart is her bionic hand？ Unlike traditional mechanical prosthetic limbs, her bionic hand, developed by a Chinese company, enables each finger to “move with the brain.” The bionic hand can clench and stretch by extracting forearm signals and sensing the intention of movement. Meanwhile, the fingers of the hand can also flexibly move dependently or synergistically. Wearing such a bionic hand, people with disabilities will be able to live a normal life as well as be engaged in artistic life such as playing piano, writing calligraphy, and painting.

Apart from bionic hands, bionic legs are also significant assistive devices that not only allow disabled people to walk like ordinary people but also enable them to participate in various sports like running, riding a bicycle, and sports climbing. For instance, the 79^th torchbearer of this Asian Games, Ye Jinyan, who was also an excellent archer, completed the torch relay with her bionic leg. The smooth movement of the bionic leg brought her convenience and confidence.

At this Asian Para Games, intelligence’s contribution to empowering disabled people to control their movements with consciousness and realize their dreams is one aspect. Intelligence also bridges the silent world and the world beyond it. Digital translators play an important role in communication at the Asian Para Games. Assisted by digital translators, the “barrier” between the hearing-impaired people and the voice world has been torn down. According to the introduction, participants of the Asian Para Games can use digital translators via a phone APP developed by Alibaba DAMO Academy.

Moreover, digital guide dogs for visually impaired participants and intelligent rehab facilities for athletes have been deployed at the Asian Para Games venues and villages. The Hangzhou Asian Para Games will witness high-tech help humans break limitations and make the impossible possible.