Exoskeleton

Nike has been working on some strange new ideas. The first is a pair of shoes that activate your mind body connection through receptors in your feet. The second are powered sneakers. Oh, and there's also an inflatable coat and a super-cooling shirt.

The Hypershell Pro X exoskeleton might be the closest we'll get – in this age, at least – to being able to instantly tap into a type of superpower, and once you've experienced it, it's hard to go back to just using the legs nature gave you.

Designed for bigger adventures, longer distances and heavier loads, the new X Ultra performance exoskeleton is what Hypershell calls its best model to date. The new wearable boosts performance with a full 1,000 watts channeled into your natural gait.

Mobility assistance exoskeletons are great for making light work of challenging outdoor activities. Ascentiz is entering the fray with a modular approach, allowing you to swap out components based on your body and your preferred pursuit.

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 exoskeleton, which I put to the test. It works … but it may not be for you.

Motors have been added to bikes, skateboards and kayaks … so how about just slapping a couple to your legs? That's what the Z1 knee exoskeleton does, offering a 50% boost in the wearer's calf and thigh strength while reducing knee pressure by 200%.

This skyscraper's extraordinary exterior is not just for show. Designers Triptyque and Architects Office have arranged the building around a concrete exoskeleton, which provides structural support and frees up floorspace inside.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have teamed up to create the "X-ble Shoulder," a wearable robot designed to enhance industrial efficiency and reduce musculoskeletal injuries and fatigue.

A new soft harness system out of the Technical University of Munich works like a pair of shorts to reduce the exertion needed to walk or jog by up to 18%. The system is easy to put on and take off and holds promise for helping anyone get more mobile.

Exoskeletons have been helping paraplegic patients to walk for years, but the latest development from KAIST is a little different. The WalkON Suit F1 can amble over to a patient seated in a wheelchair, install itself, and get the user up and walking.

A new set of 'powered pants' can boost your leg strength as much as 40%, or make you feel around 30 lb (14 kg) lighter, according to Google X Labs spinout Skip. This 'mountain goat' exoskeleton aims to eliminate physical barriers to outdoor hiking.

This new recreational adventure exoskeleton welcomes anyone to high-level hiking, scrambling and climbing, upgrading your anatomy with an extra 900 W of leg power. It shoulders up to 83 lb of load, sprints at speeds over 16 mph and packs down small.