Competition Format
Four events test every dimension of exoskeleton design — from engineering rationale to live athletic performance.
Design Review
Teams present their exoskeleton design to a panel of industry and academic judges. The review evaluates engineering rationale, safety considerations, ergonomic design, and cost analysis.
- 20-minute formal presentation followed by a 10-minute judge Q&A
- Scored on design quality, innovation, safety analysis, and cost justification
- Judges include industry professionals and academic experts
- Teams must submit a safety report 8 weeks before competition day
- Worth 175 points — the highest-weighted individual event
Judge Piloting
Competition judges wear and operate each team's exoskeleton, evaluating comfort, ease of use, and real-world wearability. This event tests how intuitively a stranger can don and use the device.
- Judges physically pilot the exoskeleton without prior team instruction
- Evaluated on ease of donning, comfort, and intuitive operation
- Tests how accessible the design is beyond the team who built it
- Judges score independently to ensure objective assessment
- Worth 100 points
Ergonomic Tests
A two-part ergonomic evaluation. The Don & Doff test measures how quickly and safely a trained pilot can put on and remove the exoskeleton. The Emergency Doff test evaluates rapid removal under simulated emergency conditions.
- Don & Doff: pilots don and doff the exoskeleton — scored on speed and safety
- Emergency Doff: 3 pilots, 2 attempts each — fastest time across all attempts counts
- Emergency doff simulates a scenario where rapid removal is critical
- Evaluates real-world usability and ergonomic design under pressure
- Worth 75 points
Athletic Test
A structured athletic circuit designed to measure how effectively the exoskeleton augments the wearer's physical performance. Pilots complete a 4-section lap circuit at a controlled pace while metabolic data is collected.
- 4-section circuit per lap: Squats, Wall Hops, High Knees, Backwards Walking
- 10 total laps completed at a rate of 1 lap per minute
- Heart rate and metabolic data measured throughout to quantify physiological benefit
- Tests real-world physical augmentation — not just speed or strength alone
- Worth 125 points