There have never been more exoskeleton and exosuit challenges and competitions than in 2024! Each contest pushes the boundaries of what wearable robotics can achieve, challenging teams to develop new mobility, rehabilitation, and industrial application solutions. These events highlight the rapid advancements in exoskeleton technology and the growing interest from various sectors in integrating exoskeletons into real-world scenarios. They help take ideas out of research centers and into the hands of users, accelerating the time when “the rubber meets the road,” and concepts are put to the test.
This year’s competitions in chronological order: Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton (ACE) Competition, Global Innovation Challenge 2024 Living Assistance Robot Contest, ASTM International Exo Technology Center of Excellence (ET CoE) Exo Games 2024, GOGOA PRIZE 2024, and the yet to take place CYBATHLON Exoskeleton Race.
Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton (ACE) Competition: https://www.competitionace.com/
The Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton (ACE) Competition was held in May 2024 at the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada. It was billed as “an opportunity for universities worldwide to unite and put their exoskeleton suits to the test against other teams.” The competition assessed the performance of occupational exoskeletons designed by the student teams against both obstacles and tasks. The majority of the entries were powered leg exoskeletons, some extending to the ground with gravity-compensating capabilities included in their designs.
Global Innovation Challenge 2024 Living Assistance Robot Contest: https://global-innovation-challenge.com/en/
The competition was held in Tsukuba City, Japan, on June 29 and 30, 2024. Two teams, Team WPAL (Japan) and FREE Bionics Japan (Taiwan), entered the contest. Team WPAL participated in tasks 1 through 4, and FREE Bionics Japan participated in tasks 1 through 6. As the name suggests, it is focused on assessing robotic devices’ capabilities to help with tasks of everyday living. The wearables were confined to a recreation of an apartment with transparent walls for observation and judged by a team. You can read more about it here.
ASTM International Exo Technology Center of Excellence (ET CoE) Exo Games 2024 https://www.etcoe.org/new-events-webinars/exogames2024
This student-centric competition was designed to push innovation in developing exoskeletons for first responders. Teams were tasked with developing exoskeletons that assist firefighters, EMTs, and police officers in physically demanding tasks such as lifting, carrying, and performing CPR. Please read our coverage: ASTM Exo Games 2024: A Fusion of Innovation, Education, and Real-World Challenges
GOGOA PRIZE, Medtech Design Challenge: Link to LinkedIn Post
In September 2024, GOGOA announced the winners  Eugenio Manuel Espuela DomÃnguez and Jaime Ramos Rojas. The pair submitted a textile walk-assist exoskeleton for seniors designed to improve stability and prevent falls. Their submission fit with the theme for this year’s prize: designing an exoskeleton to assist the motor skills of the elderly.
CYBATHLON Exoskeleton Race https://cybathlon.ethz.ch/en/event/disciplines/exo
The third-of-its-kind exo race will take place October 25-27, 2024. This competition is gradually shifting from moving users with paralysis or mobility disability from point A to point B to including tasks of everyday living like moving a box, navigating through crowded furniture (like a restaurant), and performing tasks on a kitchen counter. This is a well-placed shift in perspective, as in 2016, teams could barely finish the mobility challenges, while in 2020, just four years later, most teams (user + powered mobility exoskeleton) could zip through in half the allotted time. CYBATHLON will bring global attention to the potential of wearable robotics to transform the lives of those living with paralysis.
The diversity of these five competitions reflects the growing interest in exoskeleton (exosuit & wearable robotics) technology across all applications, from healthcare and physical rehabilitation to industrial/occupational applications and emergency services. Never before have so many competitions been held in a single year, showcasing both the versatility of exoskeletons and the enthusiasm of innovators to push the limits of wearable robotics.
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