Hypershell is a Shanghai robotics company founded in 2021 that sells powered exoskeletons to hikers. The X series straps around the waist and down onto the thighs, weighs about two kilograms, and runs from roughly 900 to 2,000 euros depending on the model.

How it works

Two motors sit at the hip joints. Sensors read the angle and speed of each leg hundreds of times a second, work out which movement is beginning, and drive the motor to add force in the same direction, so every step gets a push at the moment it starts. Ten modes cover walking, running, cycling, stairs and gradients, and the system moves between them without input.

Key considerations

Figures for reduced effort come from the company. Battery range is around fifteen kilometres, after which the frame is carried.