Dr. Joe Hitt is recognized nationally as an expert in wearable robotic technologies and human systems. Hitt’s also a retired, service-disabled Army Lieutenant Colonel who became obsessed with wearable robotics and the accuracy of fitness trackers following injuries sustained serving four years in an airborne unit. After breaking a leg, herniating disks, and dislocating a shoulder in one parachute accident, Hitt learned that the first step to optimizing his rehabilitation was an accurate measurement.

 

Hitt’s credited with creating the world’s first bionic running leg as showcased on the Discovery Channel with a Special Forces amputee running at eight mph only four months after losing his limb.

 

Hitt is a former DARPA Program Manager for the LS3, Warrior Web, EXACTO, Squad X, and Vulture projects. He has managed a wide variety of advanced technology programs from intelligent munitions, counter-mine tech, alternative energy, and legged robotics over the course of 15 years, with budgets over $1 Billion. He has also partnered with over 100 academic and industry organizations. As an Associate Professor at the United States Military Academy’s Aerodynamics and Thermodynamics Group, Hitt led a Mechanical Engineering Program that ranked #2 nationally according to US NEWS & WORLD REPORTS and taught over 500 students annually.

 

Hitt regularly participates on multiple government, private and academic panels, and boards including the Board on Army Science and Technology and the Army Basic Science Review Panel. He’s been invited to speak at numerous conferences including the National Robotics Initiative, the National Defense Industrial Association, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the Harvard University Smart Clothes Symposium, and ExxonMobil Wearable Technology Workshop.

 

At GoX Labs, Hitt concentrates on refining the accuracy of fitness trackers and developing the next generation of fitness wearables to improve health and performance.