The ability to move is about far more than getting from one place to another. It can shape independence, confidence, social connection, and quality of life.

In this special episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks with Kathryn Zealand, founder and CEO of Skip, the Google X spinout behind MO/GO, and Jessica Bath, DPT, PhD, assistant professor of physical therapy at UCSF.

Kathryn explains how a personal experience with her grandmother helped lead her from theoretical physics and evaluating moonshots at Google X into wearable robotics. She breaks down why Skip thinks about MO/GO as an “e-bike for walking,” how the company is building foundation models of human movement using real-world gait data, and why hiking offered a better starting point than the structured environments where many exoskeleton companies begin.

The conversation then turns to Parkinson’s disease, a subject that has become deeply personal for Brian following his father’s diagnosis and recent passing. Kathryn and Jessica explore freezing of gait, fall risk, and what researchers still do not understand about the neurological signals behind movement. They also discuss how wearable robotics, deep brain stimulation, exercise, physical therapy, and better movement data could help people remain active and independent.

MO/GO itself is a consumer recreation device and is not FDA-cleared. Skip’s work around Parkinson’s uses a separate prototype and is being studied through clinical research.

Kathryn also shares the deeply personal story behind Project Stardust, a research-stage effort working toward better at-home pregnancy monitoring that she helped launch after the loss of her son, Ziggy.

It is a conversation about movement, dignity, data, and what it means to build technology around problems that genuinely matter to people.

Connect with Kathryn Zealand:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-zealand/

Learn more about Skip and MO/GO:
https://www.skipwithjoy.com/

Learn more about Project Stardust:
https://project-stardust.org/

Connect with Jessica Bath:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bath-pt-dpt-phd-a2331499/

Jessica Bath at UCSF:
https://profiles.ucsf.edu/jessica.bath

Support Parkinson’s research through The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research:
https://www.michaeljfox.org/donate

We’d love to hear from you.

Have thoughts or guest suggestions? Reach us at podcast@automate.org.

You can find the transcript and more episodes of Automated at automated.fm.

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Kathryn Zealand and Jessica Bath on Wearable Robotics, Parkinson’s, and the Future of Mobility

Automated with Brian Heater

Kathryn Zealand and Jessica Bath on Wearable Robotics, Parkinson’s, and the Future of Mobility