The Sportsmate 5 exoskeleton will help you exercise … but also make it more difficult

The Hong Kong-based Enhanced Robotics company has launched a campaign on Kickstarter to finance the Sportsmate 5 exoskeleton, which is a piece of quite modern technology that can fall into the hands of each of you. Its price is $ 899, but only because it is currently on Kickstarter with its planned retail price of $ 1,517.

An interesting Sportsmate 5 exoskeleton has appeared on Kickstarter

As the name suggests, Sportsmate 5 was created with active users in mind. As an exoskeleton intended for the masses, it is reduced to the lower body and takes the form of a voluminous belt to tighten around the waist that connects to the thigh bands (just above the knees). The whole thing is made mainly of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and aviation aluminum alloy.

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The comfort is ensured by an electronically inflatable air bladder on the inside of the waist, and although it may be a pain in putting on the Sportsmate 5, the whole process takes only a minute. The whole weighs 2.5 kilograms, and the operating time is about three hours on a single 3000 mAh battery charge in Assistance mode, with the help of the energy recovery system.

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Sportsmate 5 is interesting because it can be used in two ways. In one mode, it assists the user as sensors in the exoskeleton then detect the steps and respond immediately by activating one of the device’s two motors (up to 18Nm of torque) to lift the corresponding leg and push it forward. The longer you use Sportsmate 5, the better it will be able to cope with assistance thanks to an AI-based algorithm.

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In the second mode, Sportsmate 5 does not support, and additionally puts weight on it, but also in an active way. The same engines generate up to 10 Nm of torque of resistance oriented to extension or bend.