The exoskeleton allegedly cushions your footsteps, strengthens the knee area, and gives you a little extra push up inclines.
By Adrianna Nine July 31, 2024
When it comes to hiking gear, this might be one of the most expensive pieces you ever consider. Skip, a "powered clothing" startup, has partnered with outerwear brand Arc'teryx to create a pair of hiking pants that use a motorized exoskeleton to give you an extra boost. The pants are already helping senior hikers and those with weak knees tackle otherwise challenging trails—but at $5,000, they're far from a "sure, why not?" price range.
The pants are called MO/GO, short for mountain goat, one of nature's most capable climbers. While the pants themselves look like your average hiking attire—sage green, lightweight, and loose enough to move around in—each leg has a hidden brace and an external motor. Attached to the outer knee with snap-on, snap-off carbon fiber ligaments, the motor reportedly provides your leg with a 40% boost by recognizing when you're stepping uphill and then supplementing your quadriceps and hamstrings while offloading the knee joint. As with an e-bike, you're still in control of your movement; the motor just gives you a helping hand.
https://www.extremetech.com/electronics ... xoskeleton
