Google launches Skip robotics formerly Smarty Pants

Alphabet X Sets Stage for Independent Exoskeleton Venture

Over the past several years, a dedicated team within Alphabet’s moonshot laboratory, X, has been crafting an exoskeleton aimed at empowering seniors and those with limited mobility to stride on their own. Originally dubbed “Smarty Pants,” the endeavor has now taken on the new moniker “Skip.”

Spin‑Out Shifts Project Into Separate Alphabet Company

A spokesperson at X acknowledged that Skip is exploring options outside of Alphabet, though the specifics were withheld. According to insider sources, Kathryn Zealand, the former X project lead, will steer Skip as an independent entity once it separates from Alphabet. Zealand declined to comment to this story.

Core Technology: Soft Robotics Meets AI

The former “Smarty Pants” was highlighted in a 2020 Wired feature that delved into X’s moonshot lab. The prototype merges soft robotics with artificial intelligence, equipping the exoskeleton with a sensor array that predicts wearer movement, thereby directing force application.

Alphabet’s Changing Priorities Could Explain Skip’s Fate

Recent reports from Insider indicate that X has narrowed its focus to projects promising a quicker return on investment. Skip may no longer align with these revised goals. In 2021, X previously spun out the industrial‑robotics company Intrinsic as an Alphabet subsidiary.

While X remains deeply interested in robotics, recent layoffs and budget cuts have led Alphabet to consolidate its robotics initiatives under a single group and retire a project that built domestic and office robots, known as Everyday Robots.

No Clarity on Alphabet’s Future Stake in Skip

A X spokesperson refused to discuss whether Alphabet would retain any stake in Skip once it becomes independent.

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