What is ACE?
A cross-university competition pushing undergraduate lower body exoskeleton design to its limits through four rigorous events testing engineering, ergonomics, and athletic performance.
Engineering meets real-world performance
ACE challenges undergraduate teams to design and build functional lower body exoskeletons that are evaluated across four events — from engineering design review to live athletic performance.
Exoskeletons are assessed on how well they augment the wearer physically while remaining safe, comfortable, and practically deployable. The competition draws inspiration from real-world applications in physically demanding fields where wearable robotics can have meaningful impact.
Unlike conventional robotics competitions, ACE requires teams to balance technical performance with ergonomics, cost, and human factors — producing engineers who think holistically about human-machine systems.
Four years of innovation
How exoskeletons are evaluated
Versatility
Exoskeletons must perform across varied physical tasks — from stair climbing to load-bearing — reflecting real-world demands.
Reliability
Systems are evaluated on consistent, dependable performance under competition conditions without critical failures.
Cost Efficiency
Practical feasibility matters — designs must balance high performance with reasonable manufacturing and material costs.
Weight Efficiency
Lighter, more efficient systems that enhance rather than burden the wearer score higher across all four events.
Ready to compete?
Contact McMaster Exoskeleton to register your team for ACE 2026.