Energetic cost of locomotion is often the gold standard measures used in autonomous robotic walking for efficiency as well as humans augmented with lower limb wearable robotics. The panel will discuss the relative benefits as well as critical disadvantages to the field’s obsession on energy cost for optimizing robotic systems and controls. Applications to clinical robotics for impaired populations, autonomous biped robotics, and wearable robotics for human augmentation will be discussed. The panel will also discuss potential alternative measures beyond energy cost to assess locomotion systems such as those associated with stability and agility.