Veteran-Owned Small Business • Akron, Ohio
DARK NIGHT DESIGNS CORP is developing NanoLift — a lightweight hybrid exosuit designed to reduce back strain, support industrial lifting assistance, and improve worker safety in warehousing, manufacturing, and logistics environments.
About the Company
DARK NIGHT DESIGNS CORP is a veteran-owned small business based in Akron, Ohio. Founded by Adam Dolinar, a disabled U.S. military veteran, the company focuses on developing practical assistive technologies that improve worker safety and support veterans in regaining mobility and independence.
With a background in aerospace engineering studies and firsthand experience in physically demanding environments, the company is committed to creating solutions that address real-world challenges faced by industrial workers and disabled veterans. The work is driven by a clear principle: technology should reduce strain and injury risk without adding unnecessary complexity or weight.
The company operates with a lean, independent approach — using commercial material suppliers, contract testing laboratories, and local fabrication resources to advance development while maintaining full control over direction and intellectual property.
Founded and led by a disabled U.S. military veteran with direct operational experience in demanding physical environments.
Based in Northeast Ohio and focused on practical innovation that supports American industry and local economic development.
Developing technology using commercial resources, contract testing services, and local makerspace capabilities — without reliance on university laboratory partnerships.
Dedicated to reducing workplace injuries and expanding assistive options for veterans and workers who face high physical demands every day.
The Project
NanoLift is a lightweight hybrid exosuit designed to provide practical industrial lifting assistance without the bulk and discomfort of traditional powered exoskeletons.
Focused on reducing overall system weight so the suit remains comfortable enough for extended use throughout a full work shift. The goal is a system that workers will actually keep on — not one that gets set aside after an hour.
Combines passive energy return with optional low-power active assistance. The system prioritizes passive support for everyday loads and engages powered assistance only when peak demand requires it.
Leverages carbon nanotube composites and yarns for structural support, force transmission, and integrated sensing capabilities. These materials offer high strength-to-weight characteristics that conventional systems struggle to match.
Designed with modularity in mind to support different configurations — full system, leg-focused, or arm-focused — depending on the task and the needs of the user.
Most powered exoskeletons today are heavy, complex, and power-hungry. Many passive systems are lighter but limited in the assistance they can provide. NanoLift is being developed to sit in the practical middle ground: meaningful support delivered through a system that prioritizes low weight, comfort, and real-world usability.
The Challenge
Back injuries from repetitive heavy lifting remain a major cost and safety issue across warehousing, logistics, and manufacturing. These injuries drive workers’ compensation claims, lost productivity, and long-term disability for many workers.
Existing powered exoskeletons can deliver strong assistance, but many are heavy, thermally uncomfortable during long shifts, and difficult for workers to adopt day after day. Passive systems are lighter but often provide limited support when peak loads occur.
The result is low real-world adoption despite clear need. Workers and companies continue looking for solutions that deliver meaningful assistance without the drawbacks of current systems.
Our Approach
NanoLift is being developed around a passive-first hybrid architecture. The system prioritizes energy return and load support through advanced materials, using low-power active assistance only during peak demands.
This approach is intended to reduce the weight and complexity that limit adoption of fully powered systems, while still providing useful assistance when it is needed most. The design also emphasizes modularity so different configurations can serve different tasks and users.
The goal is straightforward: create a practical, comfortable, and effective lifting assistance solution that workers will actually wear — and that companies can realistically deploy.
Why It Matters
Back injuries from manual material handling remain one of the most common and costly workplace injuries. Practical lifting assistance can help reduce strain and support longer, healthier careers in physically demanding roles.
When workers can perform lifting tasks with less fatigue and lower injury risk, companies benefit from reduced downtime, lower workers’ compensation costs, and improved retention of experienced staff.
Assistive technologies that are lightweight and practical also hold potential for veterans dealing with mobility challenges or physical limitations resulting from service. Expanding useful options is part of the company’s broader mission.
Developing this technology in Akron supports Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem while creating opportunities for local collaboration, testing, and eventual production.
Development Path
A clear, staged approach focused on proving technical feasibility first, then expanding testing and preparing for real-world use.
Establish the core integration of advanced materials into a functional, lightweight prototype. Validate performance through independent testing and demonstrate that meaningful assistance can be achieved at low system weight.
Further develop the prototype based on Phase I results. Expand human-factors evaluation and begin early pilot testing with industry partners to gather real-world feedback.
Move toward practical deployment in industrial environments. Explore pilot programs, licensing opportunities, and continued development of applications for both workers and veterans.
Get in Touch
Interested in learning more about NanoLift or DARK NIGHT DESIGNS CORP? Reach out using the information below.
Akron, Ohio, USA
DARK NIGHT DESIGNS CORP
Veteran-Owned Small Business
Adam Dolinar
Founder & Principal Investigator