Close partners with Arc’Teryx, combining Exoskeleton technology to make it stronger

Kathryn Zealand’s grandmother was a busy person who went everywhere—to restaurants, hotels, churches, and casinos. He did this until one day he couldn’t. “His whole world started to get smaller that day,” says Zealand, Skip Cofounder and CEO. “This is a common story, but until I saw it happen to my loved one, I didn’t realize that being able to move around your country with confidence is so important to your overall life. him.”

Working with some of the most technologically savvy people in the world, Kathryn was demanding. He was looking for something that he could see with his own eyes someone like his grandmother who wears to help him in what he does every day. “The more I learn about movement, the more I see how many people struggle with it, from old sports injuries to chronic covid to neurological conditions,” says Zealand. “I really don’t want robots to be the answer. Robots will be more complex and more expensive than other solutions, but years of user research have told us that people want products that are hands-free (wearable) and work hard on people’s movements found difficult, which is usually the knees. (stair, hill, stand).”

Kathryn and her team tested many ideas and arrived at the fabric as a new type of product that not only helps movement, but is also comfortable and wearable. “We’re starting with knee braces for walking but we’re also in research trials for many other health mobility challenges,” says Zealand.

“Naming the company Skip is not just about our desire to help people move easily, but to have the movement to open up all kinds of joyful experiences for them,” says Zealand.

Enter: MO/GO, or Mountain Goat, the world’s first lightweight power jacket designed to help the wearer while hiking, especially on uphill and downhill trails. Now hikers with mobility challenges can use less muscle fatigue, joint pain and overall exercise. “It gives up to 40% muscle boost to your legs on the way up, and gently supports your knees on the way down,” says Zealand. “And you can imagine it making you feel 30 pounds heavier as you walk.”

I met Kathryn in Squamish, British Columbia at the Arc’Teryx Academy, a collection of activities that help outdoor worshipers learn and grow through lectures, clinics, seminars and social events. Kathryn dressed me in a pair of these magical blue Arc’Teryx and put me on the stairs. It increased the support level to MO/GO and after a few minutes, turned off the system. Without the help of the device, I felt heavier and felt like I was walking on cement legs.

I discovered that the pants use sensors and AI to detect movement in real time, which made the device feel natural in my gait. Inside the pants is a series of ultralight carbon fiber cuffs, which gently cushion my legs, and there is a battery with a phone attached to my lower back, powering the entire system.

Also during the Arc’Teryx Academy, Kathryn’s team took a group of adventurers into the mountains for a guided tour of the Chief. “One of our participants, a woman in her 40s, came to the village in a bad mood because her knee pain had worsened the previous day and she was worried that he will not be able to participate again,” says Zealand.

After he reassured the woman that she could start and try it, there was always the option of going back at any time during the journey because there were many staff to help her, the crew the body continued. However, after walking for three hours, he completed the journey without knee pain. “Seeing her face light up and hearing her tell her husband the news at the end with a big smile on her face is such an inspiration to our team that works day in and day out at MO/GO,” says Zealand. .

Kathryn said her father was too self-conscious to wear his knee brace in public, but he would use his e-bike. It’s a similar story with my family members who have trouble walking. Traveling plants have less of an insult, for example, than a walker or a cane. I quickly realized that in some ways, ultralight robotics and ML are really easy part of this product to develop—the hardest part is creating a product that’s good, easy to use, and that people are proud of instead of ashamed of,” says Zealand.

Enter: Arc’Teryx, a high-end brand that keeps enthusiasts busy. “We approached Arc’teryx because they have a stellar brand and an in-house innovation team that works on different products that face similar challenges of integrating strong and soft in a way that makes the anchor comfortable. and loads—climbing gear, ski boots, backpacks,” says Zealand. “We share ideas and creating a product like MO/GO will be as much a design challenge as it will be an engineering one. And we can really collaborate, so we can push each other in a meaningful way to achieve ambitious products that we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. “

Now the MO/GO, which plans to ship at the end of next year, has already sold out the first few months of production. The total price is $5,000, with a $500 discount for the first order this fall. “This is cheaper than today’s medical exoskeleton, which costs about $100k in general, but it’s still higher than we need,” says Zealand. “We will continue to work hard to improve the design and reduce costs as we expand.”

For those who would like to try on the pants before committing, there are devices dedicated to rental. “While the rental fleet is small, we start with a combination of 20-minute rentals in major west coast cities and long-term experiences over several hours in popular destinations. like Yosemite,” says Zealand. “We are fully booked in most locations, but you may be notified when we add location and availability. Anyone who orders a MO/GO will be given a way to rent a car.”

So what’s next? “Skip is currently in a research study for MO/GO with knee pain, and is working on a different product for people with Parkinson’s,” says Zealand. “We are all interested in helping those who struggle with the movement, and hope to add support for the increasingly complex situation in time, but these groups have different needs and it will be take the time to understand their support needs and ensure that our products are helpful and well suited for each of those uses.”