If you thought the Hypershell was a weird one-and-done style of product, it's time for a rethink. There are more AI-driven outdoor exoskeletons on the way, designed to help amateur adventurers go farther faster with less effort.
Next up: the X1 from Chinese startup Dnsys. Slap this piece of motorized AI onto your waist and thighs and upgrade your anatomy with an extra 900 watts of walking, hiking, scrambling, climbing and running power. The X1 shoulders up to 83 lb (38 kg) of load, empowers user speeds over 16 mph (26 km/h) and packs down small for travel.
Even after years of covering safety, industrial, military and medically targeted exoskeletons, the idea of a wearable recreational performance-booster didn't come anywhere near our radar until Hypershell put its Omega lineup on Kickstarter just over a year ago. That looked like an off-the-wall one-off at the time, but it might just have kicked off the age of the temporary-cyborg adventure-seeker.
Just like ebikes open up doors to fitness and exercise for people who might not dare to take off on a long cycle without some assistance, these recreational exoskeletons promise to welcome people to hiking and climbing experiences that might otherwise be beyond their fitness level. So while the idea might sound like complete sci-fi lunacy right now, these things could end up being extremely useful, and a very liberating way to bypass physical constraints.
Like Hypershell, Dnsys is introducing its wearable outdoorsy exo via Kickstarter, with a campaign that's set to launch at 9 a.m. EDT today. And it's clearly used Hypershell's exoskeletons for benchmarking, looking to outperform them on every line item of the spec sheet.
The X1's bragging rights start off with a lighter 3.5-lb (1.6-kg) build that ducks below the 4-lb (1.8-kg) weight of the lightest Hypershell model from last year's Kickstarter campaign. Meanwhile, the X1 puts out 100 watts more than any Hypershell, resulting in an extra 18 pounds (8 kg) of weight-offsetting capability, which estimates in at 83 lb (38 kg) total.
Just imagine carrying a huge, stuffed backpack – an old-school external-frame pack to match the Dnsys styling – and feeling like you're hiking with nothing more on your back than a breezy, fast-drying shirt.
Of course, you don't actually have to be carrying 83 lb of miscellaneous life-sustaining kit on your back to benefit from the 30 lb-ft (40 Nm) of torque the X1 kicks into your stride. Even if you're simply day hiking with no more than a water bottle in-hand, the X1 promises to remove stress from each step, cutting up to 50 percent of the energy expended so you can stay fresher for longer and journey farther.
Whatever one's mission of the day is, the X1 starts by identifying and analyzing leg positioning via its onboard motion sensor to the tune of thousands of times every second. This information runs through advanced AI algorithms on the dual-core 240MHz processor to interpret intentions and instantaneously adjust motor output to the wearer's pace and movements.
The AI also learns the X1 owner's movements over time so it can better personalize its output to the way you typically use it.
Like a high-performance hybrid sports car, the X1 also includes a push-button boost mode that instantly marshals the full 900 watts (1.2 hp). That allows you to shoot for a top running speed of 16.7 mph (27 km/h) – not quite peak-human 27.8-mph Usain Bolt territory, but it tops the average half-marathon runner's pace by about 10 mph (16 km/h). To visualise it, here's a fella running a little slower:
The X1 isn't merely about speed and power, though. On descents, it can introduce resistance to maintain a slower, steadier pace that protects the wearer's knees and delivers more precise foot control.
Dnsys estimates battery range at about 15.5 to 18.6 miles (25 to 30 km), giving the X1 more than enough juice for a solid day's hike. Users can also hot-swap batteries, dropping in a fresh one to double the range. Dnsys says that just eight minutes connected to a mobile phone charger will add 20 percent battery power. Integrated kinetic energy recovery (KERS) helps maximize battery runtime.
As for basic construction, Dnsys keeps weight low with a mix of ultralight materials that includes aerospace-grade aluminum and carbon fiber. The X1 straps to the user's waist via a chain clasp belt that Dnsys claims improves fit, security and comfort. Separate thigh straps provide a snug, custom fit by way of Boa dials.
When the adventure is over, the X1 packs down to a relatively flat 6-L size for easily stashing away in a backpack or suitcase.
It's hard to really say whether these types of exoskeletons will be the performance enhancers their inventors claim or will end up being more uncomfortable and in the way than they're worth. Now that we've seen more than one roaming out the market (or pre-market, anyway), we might just have to get our legs into one and see what bionic adventuring is really like.
If you're interested in doing the same, you can get Kickstarting to put yourself in position for X1 early adoption. Dnsys will offer three different models, with super-early bird pledges ranging between US$399 and $998. The mid-level $599 Carbon model looks to be the Goldilocks option for those who don't anticipate venturing beyond the base 15.5+ mile range, packing all the aforementioned specs.
The $998 Carbon Plus adds a spare battery and a build spec that includes titanium, while the entry level $399 Lite model weighs a bit more and uses a smaller 500-W motor drive for more modest performance. Plans call for deliveries to begin in July.
As with any Kickstarter, we'd caution that the X1 may take much longer than planned or may never come to fruition at all; it's pledger beware. But we have to admit, this one's really got us thinking!
Enjoy a truly awful video below, complete with what sounds like audio watermarks from ripped-off stock music. Whoops! Still, tell me this doesn't look like fun.
Sources: Dnsys, Kickstarter