This high-tech exoskeleton lets you hike longer and run faster (2025)

Every weekend warrior knows the drill — you sit in front of a computer all week, and when the weekend hits, you bike, hike, and run yourself ragged. Your body feels destroyed on Monday. Repeat.

If this sounds like you — or even if you’re a casual exerciser who wants to walk and bike longer distances without getting tired — the future has arrived. The world’s first-ever outdoor exoskeleton, Hypershell X, can help max out your physical abilities with minimal effort.

Hypershell X is causing a buzz among both outdoorsy types and robotics enthusiasts, and it won the Best of Innovation in Robotics award at CES 2025.

The cyborg-looking device fits like a second skin over your legs and provides up to 800 watts of power, helping you raise your legs and increasing strength up to 40 percent. Whether you’re walking, running, cycling, climbing stairs, or mountaineering, the device’s motor utilizes AI to adapt to your movements in real time, intuitively.

Basically, you feel like yourself, only stronger.

Welcome to the future of wearable robotics

The Hypershell X may look like a sci-fi fantasy device, but you’ll barely feel it while you’re wearing it. Just buckle on the "fanny pack", which also houses the removable and rechargeable battery, and the ergonomic hip levers fit down your legs and are secured by soft straps above your knees. Power the device up via the exoskeleton’s one-touch button, and the M-One motor kicks in, reducing your leg’s physical exertion by up to 30 percent.

The device itself weighs under five pounds and nicely folds up to fit into your backpack. It can go up to almost 11 miles on one charge, works in temperatures as low as minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit, and the exoskeleton is fully adjustable (think of your over-ear headphones, but with more moving parts) and accommodates different body types.

In addition, Hypershell X can offset up to 66 pounds of weight, which is a huge bonus for adventurers who carry packs full of heavy gear.

The AI algorithm syncs to your movements

The Hypershell X uses a combination of AI algorithms, advanced sensors, and robotics to adjust and sync with your movements, so every step feels natural and effortless. The device might even feel different from day to day as it gets to know you, or as you get stronger, which is pretty cool.

As for the mobile app, you can use it to fine-tune your movement customizations, track your stats, and watch tutorials — or you can just pack your phone away and enjoy the great outdoors, using the exoskeleton’s button to adjust power levels whenever you want.

Like other devices, the Hypershell X also receives firmware updates. One recent update includes multi-user device access, because you know all of your friends are going to want to take it for a spin.

Which Hypershell X is right for you?

The Hypershell X comes in three different models — the Go X, Pro X, and Carbon X — and each model varies in build material, power, battery range, and price.

The least expensive Go X might be a good choice for biking to the park and less demanding activities such as day hikes, as it delivers 400 watts of power at peak output. The Pro X, on the other hand, can deliver twice the power output of the Go X, making it a solid choice for bike commuters, weekend warriors, and moving into your fifth-floor walkup. Last in the Hypershell X lineup, the Carbon X delivers 800 watts of peak power and is the lightest of the three models. It’s a great pick for people who pack in gear such as cameras and camping stoves and want to conquer mountains.

Whether you’re facing gnarly hiking trails, long distances, or just biking around town, the new Hypershell X exoskeleton will boost your leg strength so you can go farther with less effort — and less wear on your body.