Hippos AI Knee Sleeve Deploys Airbag in 50ms to Prevent ACL Injuries

Hippos Exoskeleton, a human-performance technology startup, has unveiled a revolutionary Ultra-Light Smart Knee Sleeve that represents a potential breakthrough in orthopedic injury prevention. The innovative garment combines three proprietary technologies never before integrated into a single piece of apparel: an on-device AI biomechanical engine that analyzes joint angles and torque hundreds of times per second, an ultra-fast micro-airbag actuator that deploys in just 30-50 milliseconds, and intelligent textiles that embed sensors, circuitry, and airbags into a sleek 200g sleeve. Recent testing at Cleveland Clinic's BioRobotics Center, one of the world's most respected biomechanics labs, demonstrated impressive results using their simVITRO robotic knee simulator, showing significant reductions in the forces that cause ligament damage.

The testing revealed valgus rotation reduced by approximately 11%, anterior tibial translation reduced by about 9%, internal rotation reduced by roughly 21%, with airbag deployment occurring within the critical ACL injury window of 50 milliseconds. Dr. Paul Saluan of Cleveland Clinic emphasized that Hippos has developed "an intuitive protective knee sleeve that could reshape how we think about sports safety" and that if early results continue, "it may mark the first real breakthrough in decreasing ACL injuries in a generation." The system resembles premium athletic apparel until activation, when it transforms into what cofounder Kylin Shaw describes as "Lululemon meets crash-airbag - powered by AI." The company is now preparing large-scale trials with elite athletic programs and U.S. military units, with retired III Armored Corps Surgeon Col Jason S. Wieman calling the technology "a groundbreaking leap in protecting our Military" that could "save joints, careers, and keep armed forces in the field."

Hippos Exoskeleton was born from cofounder Kylin Shaw's personal experience tearing his ACL at age 17 just days before his Division-1 basketball trial, an injury that ended his athletic career but inspired his journey into technology and entrepreneurship. Shaw teamed with Bhavy Metakar, a UK-based engineer who previously worked in defense systems, to create a company focused on preventing catastrophic injuries before they occur. The knee sleeve represents just the beginning of Hippos' vision, as the company is developing a full ecosystem of soft exoskeletons for hips, ankles, shoulders, and spine using intelligent fabrics that act as a second layer of protection for the human body. The company's mission is ambitious: to help humanity become an injury-free species through advanced wearable technology that reacts faster than the human nervous system itself.