Mobility assistance exoskeletons are great for people who want to make light work of challenging outdoor activities, and for those who won't let motion impediments get in the way of a good hike. Hong Kong-based Ascentiz is entering the fray with a modular approach, allowing you to swap out components to make moving easier, based on your body and your preferred pursuit.
This system features a belt with a 78-Wh fast-charging battery pack that can pair with a hip module for walking, jogging, trail running, hiking, and steep uphill climbs. Ascentiz says this makes for a 66-lb (30-kg) weight offset, and delivers up to 35% greater leg strength.
This module applies direct-drive torque to assist your hip flexors and extensors, improving efficiency as you move and keeping your heart 15%-30% lower than what you'd typically hit. In other words, the hip module is designed for speed and power on tap.
Alternatively, if you're looking to save energy, reduce fatigue, and increase stability during long-distance treks or are carrying a lot of heavy gear, the knee module is the ticket. Ascentiz says it can reduce strain on your joints and reduce the energy you'd expend by as much as 30%.
A cable drive transmits torque to provide assistive force to the knee, and reduces the load on your quads, hamstrings, and calves.
The quasi-direct drive joints deliver 26.5 ft.lb (36 Nm) of peak torque, and over 1 hp of power when dialed all the way up. There's also an AI with intelligent motion recognition software that's meant to deliver precise adaptive assistance by predicting your movement and adjusting torque smoothly.
You can use a companion mobile app to switch between the modules' three modes: smart assistance to make climbing uphill easier, adaptive cruise control for effortless walking, and 'train mode' to add up to 44 lb (20 kg) of dynamic resistance. The lattermost promises to boost your calorie burn to 1.7x when compared to what you'd achieve without the exoskeleton.
It's worth noting you can only use one module at a time, and they can't be equipped simultaneously. You can, however, use any module on just one leg if you need to, and adjust the boost for each leg individually. Ascentiz believes people will swap modules out to suit their chosen activity before they set off for the day. That's in contrast to what we've seen from the likes of Hypershell and Dnsys, and could make for a more versatile option if you're into a wide range of activities.
The kit is IP54 rated for water and dust resistance, and weighs 3.9 lb (1.8 kg) - 4.4 lb (2 kg) without the battery, paired with the hip and knee modules respectively. The 78-Wh battery is said to deliver up to 31 miles (50 km) or 10 hours of assistance, but real-world figures will almost certainly differ if competing exoskeletons' reviews are anything to go by.
Ascentiz is currently crowdfunding this system on Kickstarter, where the Hip and Knee Pro set is listed at US$1,498. However, it's discounted to as little as $1,098 for this campaign. The Hip kit can be had for $599, down from its expected retail price of $1,049; the Knee kit comes in at $699, down from $1,149.
All crowdfunding campaigns carry an element of risk, and this appears to be Ascentiz's first product, so you'll want to keep that in mind if you choose to back this campaign. That said, it's extensively documented the product development process, and has greatly exceeded its funding goal with nearly 1,000 backers.
If all goes to plan, orders are slated to ship worldwide in December; delivery costs will be calculated after the campaign ends, and will vary based on your location.
Check out Ascentiz' campaign over on Kickstarter.
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