An international competition in "superhuman sports" -- a new type of sports that augments human performance through state-of-the-art technology -- will be held for the first time in Japan this summer in conjunction with the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Participants are scheduled to compete in events recognized by the organizing Superhuman Sports Society, and in new events such as a 200-meter run in which runners can use devices to assist them.
"We want this to take root as a new type of sport that everyone can enjoy," the association said.
Superhuman sports use such elements as virtual reality technology, wearable devices and wheelchairs to exercise in a virtual world or perform beyond human capabilities. Masahiko Inami, a professor of human augmentation at the University of Tokyo, and others proposed the establishment of the society five years ago.
So far 26 superhuman sports have been conceived.
The tournament will involve about four events. Cyber Wheel competitors, for example, will pump a wheelchair for para-athletics that is fixed in place, racing through a virtual landscape of a future Tokyo. In Slide Lift, racers will compete for the best time in a motor-powered wheelchair that can drift sideways on an indoor course.
Organizers envision recruiting athletes with a certain level of skill who have participated in previous events, and having fewer than 10 people compete in each sport.
Also planned is an event in which times will be recorded for new superhuman sports, including having athletes navigate a maze with their eyes covered while using devices such as sensors to supplement their vision. Companies and researchers developing devices are expected to participate in the new sports.
"The time in the 200-meter dash may surpass that of the winner in the Tokyo Olympics," said Inami, who is head of the competition's executive committee.
The international meet is scheduled to take place over 2-3 days, with exhibitions and symposiums on human augmentation technology also to be held. The society plans to post key information on its website and invite participants from respective sports organizations.
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