- Arc’teryx and Google X spinoff startup Skip have created hiking trousers with a built-in exoskeleton called MO/GO.
- Created for anyone with an injury or who is getting older, the exoskeleton delivers a 40% strength boost to the legs of the wearer.
- The Arc’teryx x Skip MO/GO is available for pre-order with an early-bird price of US$4,500 (AU$6,915) or can be rented at Stawamus Chief hiking clinics in Canada for US$80 (AU$123) per day.
We’ve all wished we were a little stronger or fitter at some point and cult-followed outdoors brand Arc’teryx is here to address that desire. Recently, Arc’teryx announced a collaborative effort with the startup Skip, to create the MO/GO hiking trousers that improve your strength and endurance via a pair of externally attached motors.
Constructed from lightweight carbon fibre, the MO/GO attaches to Arc’teryx signature Gamma pants with adjustable leg cuffs that transfer the power of the internal motor directly to the wearer’s legs. Each unit weighs less than 1kg and is powered by a multi-hour battery unit, increasing the strength of each movement and reducing the impact of each step to make the wearer feel around 13kg lighter.
The MO/GO units feature intelligent software that adapts to how the wearer is moving in real-time, adjusting to different walking styles and terrain, as well as giving the user full control of how much assistance they’re receiving. The project was originally born in Google’s X research lab, but founders Kathryn Zealand and Anna Roumiantseva decided to spin the project out of the lab to create Skip in 2023.
The Arc’teryx x Skip MO/GO is available for pre-order with an early-bird price of US$4,500 (AU$6,915) and a regular price of US$5,000 (AU$7,680), with delivers expected at the end of 2025. Alternatively, they can be rented at Stawamus Chief hiking clinics in Canada for US$80 (AU$123) per day.
