What is ACE?
Overview
The Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton Competition is an international, cross-university, completely student-driven competition aimed at testing primarily lower-body exoskeleton suits designed and built by undergraduate university students. Focused on first-responder users, teams are tasked with creating a powered suit that can handle the challenges that one would face in that field. The purpose of this competition is to allow students to take their designs and put them to the test in real-life situations while also creating an environment of collaboration, innovation, and friendly competition.
The Competition's History
Started in 2018, the Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton Competition began as a challenge between the University of Michigan exo team (M-STARX) and the Michigan State University exo team (MSU STARX) in order to test out their designs. This grew into a full competition taking place in our own Bob and Betty Beyster Building in Ann Arbor, MI, with the University of Nebraska Omaha, Colorado School of Mines, and Iowa State University exoskeleton teams competing as well. The competition would continue to be hosted the University of Michigan in May 2019.
The competition was paused from 2020 until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in which all teams and universities had to go online. In May 2022, however, Michigan State University hosted the 3rd ACE Competition, followed by the 4th in May 2023. After a two-year hiatus, teams could finally come back together and continue to innovate on and test their designs!
Having grown since 2018, the 5th Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton Competition was then hosted by the University of Sherbrooke in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada in May 2024. Six teams participated in this competition, including Polytechnique Montréal, Queen’s University, and the École de Technologie Supérieure!
In 2025, the 6th annual Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton Competition will return to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and will be hosted by the University of Michigan! The plan going forward is that the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the University of Sherbrooke teams will continue to work together to bring you this amazing competition.
Articles
Pushing the Limits of Exoskeletons: Unprecedented Five Global Competitions in One Year
University Teams Tackle Exoskeleton Development at the ACE Competition
Un exosquelette ingénieux pour assister les pompiers
Des exosquelettes motorisés pour faciliter le travail des pompiers
MSU STARX team hosts 2022 STARX event for the first time
Michigan takes first place at Exoskeleton Competition
ACE 2018 - University Exoskeleton Competition
Competition Contact Information
Have Questions? Want to compete? Interested in volunteering and/or sponsorship?
Please direct all inquiries to:
starx.ace@umich.edu