Pittsburgh-based EKTO VR builds robotic footwear that lets virtual-reality users walk naturally in place, expanding movement beyond a compact physical room. Founded by Brad Factor, a robotics engineer with Cornell and Carnegie Mellon training, the small team has spent seven years and eight major design iterations developing its VR boots and consumer Adventure Shoes. Its patented footwear has been used in more than 500 professional and commercial user experiences, including research by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation Crowdfunding Registration (CIK 0001785920)
registration
Shift RoboticsBorn from work on Pittsburgh’s rough, crumbling sidewalks, Shift Robotics makes AI-powered wheeled footwear that lets people walk faster without learning to skate. Its Moonwalkers use gait-based control and overlapping powered wheels to handle everyday urban terrain, while the Austin-based company’s motion-capture lab studies human movement for current and next-generation mobility devices. Shift also vertically integrates manufacturing from machining through surface treatment in-house.PITTSBURGH, PA
HumotechFounded in 2015 as a Carnegie Mellon University spin-off, Pittsburgh-based Humotech develops wearable robotics and mobility technology for prosthetic research, clinical evaluation, and human-movement innovation. Its Caplex® platform lets researchers and clinicians emulate different mechanical behaviors with modular systems, while the company’s FDA-registered Clinical Caplex® System supports data-driven prosthetic-foot trials for people with limb loss. Founder Josh Caputo’s original question—whether robotics could create a better prosthetic foot—still shapes Humotech’s work across the laboratory and clinic.541715PITTSBURGH, PA
ProtoInnovationsFounded in 2005 by roboticist Dimitrios Apostolopoulos, Pittsburgh’s ProtoInnovations develops modular autonomous robotics for extreme environments on Earth, the Moon and Mars. Its work spans flight-supported mobility software, planetary rovers, robotic wheels and tools, with NASA’s VIPER lunar rover among the missions supported by its autonomy and control technology. More than two decades of systems engineering and field testing underpin the company’s focus on safe, efficient operation in difficult terrain.PITTSBURGH, PA
Ghost RoboticsFounded in 2015 by Avik De and Gavin Kenneally after developing direct-drive robots such as Minitaur, Ghost Robotics builds legged unmanned ground vehicles for commercial and defense missions. Its Vision 60 quadruped is designed for rough, unstructured terrain, with field-replaceable components and customizable payloads that help keep people out of hazardous environments. The company reports more than 1,000 robots shipped and 25-plus national security customers.PHILADELPHIA, PA