E-bikes gave cyclists a major boost. Now, a wearable robot wants to do the same for your legs.
Meet the exoskeleton, a battery-powered gadget that straps onto your body and promises to make running, hiking and everyday movement feel like less — or more — of a workout.
Robotic exoskeletons have been used in medical rehabilitation for decades, helping people practice walking following illness or injury.
Now, companies are bringing lighter-weight versions to the consumer fitness market, with ambitions that go beyond restoring mobility: They’re helping healthy, active people move farther, faster and with less effort.
Hypershell, for one, is bringing these futuristic sidekicks to market for everyone from weekend adventurers to elite athletes — and selling them for up to $2,299 a pop. They recently supplied Brazilian soccer club Santos FC with seven of them to assist player movement, reduce physical strain and fatigue and aid in athletic conditioning and recovery.
DNSYS’ pieces go for $1,299 to $2,298, and the company even teamed up with the creators of the video game “Death Stranding 2” to bring its robotic leg gear to life in a limited-edition model that sold out in less than an hour.
Ascentiz, meanwhile, launched its $1,199 H Module this August. The robotic hip attachment is built to boost lower-body performance, support outdoor adventures and make everyday movement easier.
Unlike devices that require separate hip and knee units, H Module uses a shared waist platform called the Exo-Belt, allowing users to swap attachments depending on their needs.
The H Module isn’t designed to help users leap over building or scale skyscrapers — unfortunately — but it does offer several modes to change how your body moves.
In assist mode, the exoskeleton’s built-in motors give your hips a synchronized push with each step, which the company says cuts down the physical effort of climbing or walking by roughly 35% to 40%.
Want to work harder instead? Training mode adds resistance, aiming to increase muscle activation and calorie burn.
Cruise control, meanwhile, adjusts assistance to help maintain a steady stride.
The device weighs about 5.5 pounds, folds down to roughly the size of a laptop and, according to Ascentiz, can offset up to 66 pounds of load and boost leg strength by 35%.
Meanwhile, an AI-powered motion engine instantly and automatically adjusts to match the wearer’s gait.
But strapping a robot to your hips and thighs to go for a run feels like a lot of effort to avoid… well, effort. Still, in the name of journalism, I buckled it on and headed to Central Park to see whether this high-tech contraption could turn me into a bionic woman.
Taking the robot for a walk
First up were the stairs at Bethesda Terrace, with its iconic fountain — and steps.
I buckled on the Exo-Belt and attached the module above my knees. The setup was surprisingly straightforward, and the device felt lighter and less bulky than I expected — although there was no forgetting I essentially had a robot strapped to my body.
I attracted a few curious glances, but no one seemed freaked out. In a city where the unusual quickly becomes part of the everyday, a robotic hip attachment most likely wasn’t the strangest thing passersby had seen that afternoon.
So I switched on assist mode at roughly half power and started climbing.
I expected to feel the device practically hauling me up the stairs. Instead, I noticed little difference. But that may have been the point.
Climbing a flight of stairs doesn’t require much effort for me, so there wasn’t much strain for the exoskeleton to alleviate. Descending was a different story: I noticed the device encouraging my hips and back into a more upright position, making me more conscious of how my posture shifted as I went down.
Look out, Sha’Carri Richardson!
Next came running, not exactly my favorite activity.
I’ve tried to become a runner before, but the breathlessness and elusive runner’s high never quite won me over. Could a robotic assist possibly make running more appealing?
I headed to a running path, cranked up the assist mode and took off.
Suddenly, I understood the draw. Where the stairs had left me underwhelmed, the H Module made its presence known immediately. My strides felt lighter, and moving forward required less effort. At times, the propulsion felt so pronounced that I felt thrust forward.
Another welcome surprise was how unobtrusive the device felt on my waist. The last thing you want is extra equipment bouncing around and weighing you down.
I could imagine how the H Module might seem attractive to people who want to join a running group or participate in a race but worry about keeping up.
Of course, some fitness purists may see assisted movement as… well, cheating. But we’re talking about personal fitness, not the Olympics.
Then there’s the flipside: resistance mode. Switching to training mode made my legs work harder, almost as though I were trudging through quicksand.
That added challenge could appeal to professional and amateur athletes looking to build training into everyday movement without relying on weights or machines. Walking the dog, running errands or traveling could become opportunities to squeeze in effort.
Taking the scenic route
Finally, I tackled some of Central Park’s rocky terrain, scrambling over formations and navigating uneven ground.
Hiking is more my speed than running, so I was curious to see whether the device could make the experience more enjoyable without taking away from the challenge. With cruise control engaged, the H Module adapted its assistance as I moved.
I felt its effects more than I had on the stairs, though less dramatically than during the sprint. That made sense, though, because the running test had pushed me harder and left me feeling fatigued more quickly. In other words, the exoskeleton detected that I actually needed assistance.
For longer hikes with steep inclines and declines, the H Module could come in handy — especially for outdoor enthusiasts who want to keep exploring without feeling completely spent.
Is a robotic exoskeleton worth it?
The tech was undeniably cool to test, but that doesn’t mean every fitness fan needs one.
For people who prioritize convenience and want a portable way to add resistance to daily movement, the training mode could be enticing. The assist function may also interest avid runners, cyclists, walkers and hikers who want to continue their favorite activities with less physical strain.
There could even be a social benefit. Someone who struggles to keep up with a more athletic friend or partner might feel more comfortable joining them on a walk or hike with assistance.
But for me, the biggest draw was the resistance mode. I’m focused on building muscle and strength, and the idea of turning everyday movement into a more challenging workout intrigues me. Still, I’m making the most of my bougie gym membership and personal training sessions for now, so I’m not rushing to add a robotic suit to my fitness budget.
I may not have emerged from Central Park with superhuman powers, but I did get a taste of what wearable robotics could bring to fitness.
And for someone who usually dreads running, sprinting down a park path without feeling like my heart was about to explode was a pretty fantastic feat.