- Date
November 8, 2022 to February 26, 2023
- Tuesday to Friday
from 10 am to 6 pm
- Saturdays
from 9 am to 7 pm
- Sundays and holidays
from 9 am to 6 pm
- Cost
free admission
- Early booking (optional)
- The exhibition has accessibility features
Technology in Motion by Xiborg
Combining sports and technology, Japan House São Paulo presents the exhibition Technology in Motion by Xiborg, which features Japanese initiatives for diversity and inclusion through the work of Ken Endo, a Japanese engineer who develops cutting-edge technology in the field of running prostheses. Elected a “Young Global Leader 2014” by the World Economic Forum, Endo is the founder and CEO of Xiborg Inc., an institute that brings innovation to the segment of blades for lower limbs.
On display from November 8, 2022 to February 26, 2023, the exhibition - the first on his work in Brazil - will provide an overview of the area through blade specimens, a chronology of their development, videos, in addition to the possibility for visitors to exercise their empathy by trying on a prosthesis developed by Ken Endo. Continuing the partnership started last year for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the exhibition Technology in Motion by Xiborg is supported by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (BPC) and sponsored by Aubicon.
Education and inclusion
Located on the second floor of the institution on Avenida Paulista and curated by the journalist Marcelo Duarte, the admission-free exhibition celebrates the blade designer’s achievements in education, sports, engineering, and in social causes. Among the highlights, there is a project in Laos, a Southeast Asian country, which allows local athletes to compete with less expensive prostheses designed and donated by Ken Endo, in addition to an education program underway in Japanese schools that is responsible for promoting inclusion and empathy, allowing non-amputees to truly experience, for a few minutes, what it is like to wear a prosthesis.
From Japan to Japan House São Paulo
Part of this program conducted in Japanese schools will be reproduced at the exhibition from Tuesday to Saturday, at specific times, when prostheses especially designed for everyone to try on will be available for visitors to use under the guidance of specialized staff.
The exhibition also features testimonies from athletes about the importance of the prosthesis for running performance; as well as videos about the engineer’s projects, such as the Blade Runner Project, which aims to allow athletes wearing prostheses to aspire to reach the mark set by Usain Bolt, considered the fastest athlete in the world.
Blade Library - by Ken Endo
Another highlight is the mention of the Blade Library, which was created in 2017, in Tokyo, and works as a “prosthetics library,” offering prosthesis rentals at affordable prices. One of Ken Endo’s great projects, the Blade Library is assisted by specialists who advise on prostheses placement, and features a special environment for children and young people to play, run, and have fun until they find the right prosthesis for their needs.
“Since running prostheses are very expensive, they end up being restricted to high-performance athletes who have the financial means to acquire them,” explains the curator.
“That is why Ken Endo’s important work caught my attention when I mediated a live broadcast with him last year. I was fascinated by his story and commitment to democratizing access to prostheses,” noted Marcelo Duarte.
Ken Endo was one of the participants in the “Creators” project (in Portuguese), a series of live broadcasts Japan House São Paulo organized to showcase Japanese culture through sports, and which was part of the sideline activities of the exhibition “Sports Lounge: Tokyo 2020”.
Gaining visibility
According to current estimates, 15 percent of the world's population has some form of disability. Meanwhile, Paralympic sport has been gaining visibility year after year. Tokyo, for example, had the largest edition of the Games in terms of the number of participants with some type of disability. Brazil had its best campaign in history at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, winning 72 medals and finishing seventh in the general ranking, with athletics and swimming standing out with the most victories.
The School Paralympics
As Paralympic sport continues to gain popularity, Brazil has one of the largest competitions for school-age children with disabilities: The School Paralympics. Last year, more than 900 athletes from 25 states participated in the event created by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee in 2009.
In view of this inclusion scenario, the work done by Ken Endo - named to MIT Technology Review’s List of Top Innovators Under 35 (TR35) – is fundamental, as Japan House São Paulo president Eric Klug says:
“Ken Endo develops amazing projects in the fields of engineering, sports, education for diversity, and for humanitarian causes. His desire and the work he does for a more inclusive, happy world, full of opportunities for all is inspiring and brings a message of undeniable optimism to Japan and Brazil”.
As part of a special in-person program with the engineer’s participation, events, meetings, and lectures are planned that propose the exchange of experiences and knowledge among Brazilian and Japanese initiatives.
This exhibition converses with another one that Japan House São Paulo presented in 2018, the Prototyping in Tokyo, by engineer Shunji Yamanaka, who, at the time exhibited the Rabbit Project, featuring prostheses for competitive racing that sought, through design, the perfect harmony between human and artificial materials.
Accessible JHSP program
Within the Accessible JHSP program, the exhibition “Technology in Motion by Xiborg” features audio descriptions, sign language, and a bench with tactile elements.
About Ken Endo:
A Research Associate at Sony Computer Science Laboratories Inc. and founding CEO of Xiborg Co., Ltd., Endo received his Ph.D. as a member of the Biomechatronics group at the Media Lab. At Sony CSL, he develops technology that rehabilitates and increases human physical capacity, such as prosthetics and orthotics. Endo was named to MIT Technology Review’s List of Top Innovators Under 35 (TR35) and chosen as a “Young Global Leader 2014” by the World Economic Forum. https://xiborg.jp/en/ // https://bladelibrary.jp/en/
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Service:
Technology in Motion by Xiborg
Period: November 8, 2022 to February 26, 2023
Cost: free admission
The exhibition has accessibility resources (Sign language, audio descriptions, tactile elements).
Early booking (optional):https://agendamento.japanhousesp.com.br
Japan House São Paulo | second floor
Location: Avenida Paulista, 52 – Bela Vista, São Paulo
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 6 pm
Saturdays, from 9 am to 7 pm
Sundays and holidays, from 9 am to 6 pm
Japan House São Paulo remains closed on Mondays, without exception, including on holidays.
Trying out prostheses at Japan House São Paulo*
Period:
From Tuesday to Friday, from 11 am to 12:30 pm, and from 2 pm to 3:30 pm
Saturdays, from 11 am to 12:30 pm
(More details below)
The action takes place in the impact-absorbing floor experimentation room sponsored by Aubicon, the exhibition sponsor.
Classification: For 8-year-olds and above*
(From 8 to 14 years of age, the youngster must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)
*Admission is free. Simply pick up a password at the reception 1 hour before the activity Limited space.
Attention:
Prosthetic experimentation is suspended on the following dates:
- November 15
- November 22 (afternoon)
- November 23 (morning)
- November 24 (afternoon)
- November 30
- December 2 (afternoon)
- December 8
- February 18
- February 21
- February 22
