Keep a step ahead with robot pants

If your knees aren't what they used to be, gadgets could give you a lift. Technology journalist Chris Hall tries a futuristic new exoskeleton on a desert hike

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I'D joked with friends that I was going to be testing “robotic legs” on a hike through the Red Rock Canyon in Nevada's Mojave Desert. But the Hypershell X Ultra is some serious kit. Hypershell is part of a new wave of exoskeleton devices that use the latest tech to make walking easier.

It sells the X Ultra as a gadget for “extreme expeditions” to make hiking or cycling easier, but to me, it was more like a prop from a sci-fi movie.

The Hypershell straps around the waist, over your normal walking clothes, so you wear it like a belt, with the battery at the back. It's attached to two leg blades with further attachments that you strap on above the knees. Everything has to be nice and tight, so it moves with your body.

Think of it like a pair of robotic shorts and you're on the right track.

GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING

There's a motor at each hip, which detects motion and provides a power boost, which is where the fun really starts. You just start walking, and the motor will put a little bit more effort into your step.

There is a full range of settings to vary the level of power the motor offers, a little like the assistance on an e-bike.

With button controls on the Hypershell itself - or via the smartphone app or Apple Watch - it's easy to change these settings on the move, perhaps turning it up when you reach a steep section.