Robotic Exoskeletons Available to Chinese Tourists Climbing Taishan
By wchung | 16 Feb, 2025

A 5-pound battery-powered device helps tourists complete a strenuous climb up a popular Shandong Province mountain.

Robotic exoskeletons have been under development in the US since the 1960s when the Pentagon teamed up with General Motors to create the 1,500-pound Hardiman.  In recent decades projects like Lockheed's HULC and the more practical ONYX, and Raytheon's Robocop-esque XOS2 exoskeleton systems have been developed to enable soldiers to carry heavy loads across rugged terrain.  

But such systems are far too expensive, heavy and complex to be practical for civilian use.

The Taishan Cultural Tourism Group (TCTG) in China's northeastern Shandong Province worked with Shenzhen's Kenqing Technology to develop a 5-pound (including battery) exoskeleton to help hikers tackle the 5,000-foot elevation gain in climbing Mount Tai (Taishan), a popular tourist attraction with mystical and historic significance.

Kenqing was founded in 2015 to develop exoskeletons for civilian and industrial use.  Without the level of resources governments make available for military-grade projects, Kenqing relies on online crowdfunding to capitalize product development.  

The hiker-assistance device it developed with TCTG is remarkably simple and lightweight compared with military-grade exoskeletons.  It consists of a waist strap and thigh straps connected by hydraulic rods.  It uses an AI-powered controller to sense the wearer's pace and range of motion in order to sychronise effective assistance.  The device is powered by a pair of batteries that together weigh about 1.5 pounds and last about five hours. 

Beta testing was launched January 29 by offering 10 devices to tourists for 60 yuan (about $8.35) per rental, with the price rising to 80 yuan (about $11.20) during holidays.  It generally takes about six hours to climb Mt Tai, so TCTG plans to add battery replacement stations along the trail, as well as continue efforts to extend battery life.  

The device drew mostly raves from the 200 tourists who had rented it as of mid February.  Users compared the sensation of using it to being pulled along.  Despite the device's compact form factor, a few users noted that it hampered activities like tying shoelaces and using the bathroom.  About half the renters were senior citizens, the segment for which the device was primarily developed.

Kenqing has begun selling the exoskeleton for 17,000 yuan (about $2,300) on Taobao, one of China's biggest e-commerce sites.  It hopes to roll out to the general retail market in in March.