Millions of people love the power boost offered by ebikes, so wouldn't they appreciate a similar boost for activities such as hiking? That's the thinking behind the Dnsys X1 powered exoskeleton, which I recently put to the test. It works as advertised … but it may not be for you.
We first heard about the X1 last year, when it was the subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign.
The device consists of a padded waist belt, which is connected via a couple of vertical arms to two braces that are strapped to the wearer's thighs.
As the user walks, motors on the belt swing the arms/braces forward, automatically helping to lift the user's legs up and forward in the process. As a result, the person uses less muscle power than they would otherwise, plus the load on their hips is reduced.
There's also a training-oriented "Aqua" setting, in which the motors actually add resistance instead of providing assistance – more on that later.
The version of the X1 that I got to try out is the top-of-the-line model (out of three), the US$1,899 Carbon Pro.
Among other things, the Carbon Pro features a combination of aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber construction; a claimed weight of 1.6 kg (although my scale says it's 2.2 kg/4.9 lb); and 900 watts of peak power that deliver up to 30 lb-ft (40 Nm) of torque into your stride. And importantly, that torque isn't delivered "mindlessly."
The X1's onboard motion sensors identify and analyze leg positioning thousands of times a second, running that data through advanced AI algorithms on a dual-core 240-MHz processor. This allows it to interpret its user's intentions, and instantaneously adjust motor output to suit their pace and movements.
Battery life sits at a claimed 20 km (12 miles) or seven hours, although that depends very much on usage.
I took my exoskeleton on three fairly hilly, strenuous 90-minute hikes (starting at the maximum output setting) and I used up about half a battery on each one. It is worth noting that while you can choose from three settings – Eco, Sport and Boost – the X1 automatically kicks you out of Boost once it decides you've been using too much battery power. Fortunately the Carbon Pro comes with a second battery that can be swapped in, in a matter of seconds.
Using the thing
When you first start walking with the X1 switched on, it feels almost as if you're in a reduced-gravity environment. You become accustomed to it pretty quickly, though.
By the end of my first hike, for instance, I wasn't even sure if the device was still having much of an effect. I wasn't particularly tired, but then again, I wasn't sure how tired I would have been if I hadn't been using it the whole time, either.
As soon as I shut it off, however, I stumbled on the sidewalk, as I'd gotten used to my legs being lifted for me. So yes, it had definitely been making a difference! That said, I must admit that it was still a relief to take the thing off.
My waist got pretty hot and sweaty beneath the belt, plus the thigh braces kept causing the legs of my shorts to ride up, and would then rub against my skin – the braces would definitely do better being worn over pants. From a practical standpoint, I also couldn't access my front pockets, nor could I hang anything from my waistband.
These drawbacks might be well worth the trouble if I really needed the assistance, but (so far) I don't … although yes, I tried Aqua mode, and I could certainly benefit from using it on a regular basis. True to its name, it does duplicate the resistance-training effect of wading through water.
Dnsys appears to be marketing the X1 both as a means for able-bodied athletes to push themselves even further, and as an aid for seniors (or others) who wish to be active but have limited mobility. I think the latter group is by far the more appropriate market. Other people in my hiking group certainly commented that the X1 looked like it would be most useful for hikers with mobility issues.
I did also try using the X1 while cycling, which is one of its other suggested uses. In fact, the general idea is that you can use it instead of buying an ebike.
I found that while it did indeed provide a noticeable amount of assistance, it still didn't provide as much as an actual ebike motor. So once again, it was a matter of the hassle of wearing the thing outweighing the benefit of the boost it supplied – for me at least, at this time. I also noticed that when pedaling, the arms made a constant clunking noise as they slid in and out of the braces.
On the topic of noise, though, the exoskeleton is generally pretty quiet. When you're walking, its motors do make a subtle Robocop-like sound with every step, but it's not the sort of thing that will have people looking back at you from 10 feet away.
Getting the bugs out
As I mentioned earlier, the X1 only recently entered production, and it looks like there are still a few design flaws that need to be addressed. They're not dealbreakers by any means, but it would be better if they didn't exist.
The main power switch, for instance – which requires one long press followed by two short presses – is right in the back where you can't see it. I've been told that plans call for it to be moved around to one side in future models.
Additionally, instead of having a simple quick-release buckle in front, the belt has a hook-and-loop strap setup that looks like it should to be easy to operate, but in reality tends to require rethreading into the belt on a frequent basis.
By far the biggest of the flaws, however, is the fact that the belt's padding can't be easily removed for washing. Technically speaking, it can be removed, but doing so involves taking out 12 rather hard-to-get-at small Torx screws, then reinstalling them afterwards. What's more, this isn't mentioned anywhere in the instructions.
This issue brings us back to the question of who the X1 should really be aimed at.
If it's intended mainly for use by mobility-challenged folks who will be wearing it over jackets on walks along smooth pathways, then the difficult washability isn't that big of a deal. If it's aimed more at young dudes and dudesses who will be wearing it over wicking shirts on scrambles along steep mountain trails, though, the hard-to-remove padding might be more of a sticking point.
In summary, I'd say that if you or someone you know needs a little extra oomph in order to stay active and out-there, then the Dnsys X1 may very well be worth the investment. If you're already quite physically capable, however, you may ultimately find that the thing ends up bugging you more than boosting you.
Product page: Dnsys X1
