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The full McMaster Exoskeleton team gathered outdoors on campus with two pilots in suits at the centre.

Competition · 2026

ACE 20265th overall.

Our second year at ACE, and the first time McMaster hosted it. The team built a functional exoskeleton from scratch across the full school year and placed 5th overall.
How we built it
Placement
5th
Year
2026
Host
McMaster University — our home campus
Events
6

What is ACE

The Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton competition

Undergraduate teams build a wearable exoskeleton and run it through first-responder tasks with a pilot inside. A suit has to clear a design review and a safety inspection before it is allowed onto the course.
01

Design Review

Judged presentation of the engineering behind the suit.

02

Safety Check

The suit is cleared for a pilot before it runs anything.

03

Don/Doff Test

How fast a pilot can get into and out of the suit.

04

Emergency Doff

Removing the suit under simulated emergency conditions.

05

Stair Climbing

Powered ascent and descent under the pilot's own control.

06

Obstacle Course

Full first-responder agility run against the clock.

Gallery

ACE 2026 in photos

The full McMaster Exoskeleton team gathered outdoors on campus with two pilots in suits at the centre.
Team members making final adjustments to the exoskeleton before a competition run.
A pilot in the exoskeleton preparing at the start of a competition event.
The exoskeleton's control pack showing sponsor logos during competition.
The team working on the suit between events at ACE 2026.
A pilot walking in the exoskeleton during an ACE 2026 event.

Our other seasons

We have placed 5th at ACE two years running.

ACE 2025Join the team