Where your legs are the only ones you can rely on, the last thing you want is for them to falter. This AI-powered exoskeleton claims to help preventing that, while improving your performance and the fun you’ll be having.
This one is not for the occasional, perhaps unwilling hiker who gets dragged out on the trail by their best friends and, even then, can barely manage to do half a hike before collapsing in a pile of self-pity and complaints. The Hypershell Omega, designed for the very active and outdoorsy type, aims to make a world of a difference in experiencing the great outdoors by improving performance.
Exoskeletons have been around, for a while, in the military, medical and industrial sectors, but they’re yet to go fully commercial. The Hypershell Omega, from the Shanghai-based startup Hypershell, aims to be a pioneer in this sense, while also boasting of being the first-ever exoskeleton to pack so much versatility, functionality, and ease of use into a single product.
Think of it as of Superman’s cape, but AI- and motor-powered, and that goes to your legs instead of on your shoulders. So, more like Superman’s red underpants, which give you an extra boost of power.
Photo: Hypershell
As of March 7, the Hypershell Omega is crowdfunding to go into production, with more than 300% of the initial goal reached within 24 hours. So yes, there is a lot of interest in a product of this kind, especially because it boasts applicability in a variety of fields, not just leisure and sports.
The Omega exoskeleton is all-purpose and could work in many scenarios, from search and rescue to high performance and endurance activities, and more casual occasions like day-long treks on a museum circuit. Whatever activity is physically demanding enough to present the risk of you tiring out by the end of it is suitable – and improvable – with the exoskeleton.
“Exoskeleton products will unlock the threshold of human physical fitness, expanding human footprints further over unknown terrains,” Kelvin, the founder of Hypershell, says. “It will rebuild everyone’s work, life, and leisure fundamentally.”
Of course, he sings the praises of his own product, you’ll say: he has to sell it. But at least on paper, the Omega does seem to put a hyper-twist to whatever physical activity you’re doing. Combining robotics and AI, and using one single motor and eight passive joints, the exoskeleton boasts nine different modes and the ability to learn and adapt to the wearer’s gait and whatever terrain they’re traversing.
Photo: Hypershell
Power comes from a 400 W M-One motor, of which Hypershell says it’s “the world’s smallest high-precision Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM),” delivering 1 hp of continuous power and 32 Nm of torque. They call it “a little monster” they created in order to allow monstrous performance results.
Dual, hot-swappable batteries power the motor and promise a range of 25.7 km (16 miles) of continuous walking on a single charge. Smart battery management system supports USB-C PD fast charging, so you could use a charger while traveling: a 20% charge takes just 10 minutes, and will last you an estimated 5 km (3 miles).
As long as you’re willing to carry a bit more extra weight in batteries, you can always adjust range to your needs by swapping them on the go. It’s a good thing then that the exoskeleton itself is pretty lightweight: 6.7 liters (0.2 cubic feet) when packed, and 1.8 kg (4 lbs) in total weight.
The Omega can offset 30 kg (66.2 lbs) of weight, basically allowing you to walk or run faster, farther and up a steeper incline, whether you’re carrying specialized gear or just your weight. Maximum speed is 20 kph (12.4 mph), and the exoskeleton will learn and match your motions with help from adaptive copilot, by means of the two integrated processors.
Rated IP54 for water and dust protection, the Hypershell Omega takes under one minute to put on and under 20 seconds to take off. The easily adjustable frame will work for most adult sizes, and its compact form means you will be able to carry it inside a backpack and not feel like you’re inconveniencing yourself just to bring it along.
Hypershell says they developed the exoskeleton for daily walkers, backpackers, professionals like photographers, who always haul gear with them, sometimes over long distances, adventurers and professional athletes. If you’re not a single one of these things, you must be wondering why someone would strap contraptions to their body just so they could walk or run faster and farther, and we have no answer to that.
MRSP is estimated at $599, if it ever goes into full production. Right now, backers can get it for less, on the condition that they be willing to take a leap of faith and contribute to bringing it to production. The first deliveries are reserved for backers, with a September 2023 timeline. If you know anything about crowdfunding and its inherent risks, you know that delivery date is more of a rough guide than a given. So maybe don’t hold your breath until then.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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