Kickstarter: Dnsys X1 Exoskeleton

There is a new powered exoskeleton developer on the block. Dnsys offers its consumer hip-exo on the popular crowdfunding website through Thursday, May 16, 2024. This now marks the third crowdfunded hip-only powered exo in a row. The Dnsys X1 Exoskeleton follows in the footsteps of the Sportsmate 5 by Enhanced Robotics and the more aggressively marketed Hypershell by Hypershell. So, where does this new exoskeleton community crowdfunding effort land? It appears to be somewhat in the middle.

Cameron Coward, writer for Hackster News, has posted a full and impartial review of the Dnsys X1 on hackster.io and YouTube. His impressions are easy to follow:

• Unclear if the timing or force assist was helpful, even though it is meant to offload 50% of the energy needed during a walk. Did not find the device intuitive.
• The wearable robot controller was unaware of when the user wanted to execute a full stop.
• Issues with device durability.
• Chaffing if not wearing longer pants.
• He felt self-conscious wearing the exo, like the fictional character Forest Gump. Looks and perception are something we rarely discuss in the Exoskeleton Report, but as consumer exoskeletons try to take flight, it will have to be a topic that needs to be visited and revisited many times.

Right off the bat, the Dnsys X1 does bring novel features and innovations. Two that stand out:

• Ability to fold the exo down to about the dimensions of a piece of paper.

• Stated goal of reducing heart rate. This is monumental for people with heart disease or complications who want to go out into the world but can’t afford to increase their heart rate significantly without risking being in pain in the morning. Even a hot, noisy, inefficient powered exoskeleton that provides just enough assistance to overcome the 1-5% of the total length of a hiking trail where it is suddenly steeper could open up miles and miles of additional paths they can walk.

Other features:

• Integrated smartphone app.
• Only 1.6 kg wearable device weight (3.5 lb)
• Swappable battery
• Upto 900 Watt of motor power, equivalent to 1.2 HP or 50 Nm of applied torque per leg
• IP54 water and dustproof

Powered hip exoskeletons are becoming popular; almost 40 of them are listed in our catalog of exoskeleton devices: link.

Find out more and/or back the Dnsys X1 Exoskeleton crowdfunding initiative yourself by going to their Kickstarter page: link

Update:

GearJunkie have posted an objective but more favorable review, focusing on outdoor trecking (link). The Kickstarter campaign has already exceeded a quarter million dollars with 22 days left to go!

All images: Dnsys X1 Exoskeleton marketing material via Kickstarter.com, as accessed on April 17, 2024, link

Related articles: From Sci-Fi to Crowdfunding: The Remarkable Growth of Exoskeleton Kickstarter Campaigns, March 2023.