Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc (EKSO)

[Rhetorical]

http://www.bionic-power.com/

apparently they have ARMY / DARPA contracts - definitely real competition

I think their technology is useful, but the fact they don't have something attached to the ground will ultimately contain them.

Imagine falling 10 feet out of a helicopter: with something attached to the ground, a robotic system could brace your fall - but otherwise your ankle will break if it's not taking the load for you...

I'm pretty sure ankle injuries will be their downfall.

That being said, their technology might be useful for a wide scale deployment (being less expensive) and the 'energy harvesting' is a pretty good idea maybe?

Ideally, the energy harvesting part could be acquired by Ekso Bionics long term if it's truly useful.

Less ideally, the Army might buy something like this and then later on buy something more advanced - like Ekso's TALOS. Ekso may well be too expensive to deploy to the common soldier, and Ekso would make the heavy exoskeletons, with this group making the lighter ones.