This ExoBoot was created by Dephy, a robotics company spun off from the MIT Media Lab.
Originally developed for (and currently being tested by) the U.S. military, the ExoBoot is a powered ankle exoskeleton that lowers the metabolic energy required to walk. Soldiers can march further without requiring extra calories.
Dephy has also expanded into the civilian sector, running trials with rehabilitation clinics and mobility research groups. Older adults and people with disabilities are the target market.
Now a third market has emerged: Athletes, thanks to a tie-up with Nike called Project Amplify.
For an athlete to use a powered sneaker might sound like cheating, but Nike begs to differ. “Akin to how electric bikes have made it easier to ride farther and more frequently, revolutionizing urban commuting,” the sneaker giant writes, “Nike is developing Project Amplify to make slower running, jogging and walking easier and more fun, with a focus on athletes running between a 10- and 12-minute mile pace.”
The Nike-ized ExoBoot “isn’t designed for competitive, faster runners trying to shave seconds off their time,” the company explains. “Rather, it’s intended to serve athletes who want to go faster and farther with less effort by giving them more power for everyday movement — in effect, a second set of calf muscles.” In their testing, they report that users “have shared that the system feels like it’s part of their body and that it makes walking or running uphill feel like moving on flat ground.”
Nike says their ultimate plan, once testing is completed, is to release Project Amplify “to a broad consumer launch in the coming years.”