Ebike or exoskeleton? Or both?

[Bicyclista]

It appears that exoskeletons are ready for prime time. An exoskeleton is a powered devide that helps you move, including walking, running, cycling, and walking up and down stairs. Here is an article in Cycling Weekly. Also, check out the link to Julia Clarke's story in Advnture magazine on using it to climb Britain's highest mountain.

Such a device could potentially replace wheelchairs. Or you could keep riding your favorite conventional bike. (I would love to get the Jones titanium space-frame bike, which is not available as an ebike, nor is a conversion recommended, and ride it wearing a powered exoskeleton.) Or you could ride your ebike AND wear an exoskeleton for a superman experience!

Link to Hypershell. I am not affiliated with the company, but I am seriously considering getting an exoskeleton. I'm 80! I need all the help I can get!

 

[indianajo]

I find that among my friends who limit their exercise to perhaps walking their dog 100 yards daily, there are a substantial number of broken hips. I personally believe bone health is directly correlated to how much the user stresses them in their routine. With appropriate nutrition, of course. I'm age 75. I have been spending my summer cutting up some of the 50 or so trees that blew down last year on my summer property, loading them in a vehicle in 50 lb chunks, carrying them to the sinkhole and throwing them in. There are a number of professionals that advertise they would take care of these problems, but the experience of my neighbors indicates the going rate is about $3000 to $5000 each. My SSI + pensions would perhaps cover one or two each such removals, a year. My bones were good enough 9/24 to take a spill over the handlebars on my chinguard, without breaking anything. I was chased off the pavement by a motorist that needed every inch of the 14' wide lane.
Powered exoskeleton is certainly appropriate for infantrymen expected to attack up hills with enough weapons armor ammunition food and water to supply themselves up there several days. Until resupplied perhaps by air. I think such technology is inappropriate for a person my age who intends to stay out of the nursing home bed for 20 to 40 more years.
I've been pushed off the e-bike by lack of supply of repair parts during the current trade war, changes in laws banning hill capable 1000 w motors, plus cardio surgery 4/22/25 which now limits my pulse to 60 during exercise. Before such surgery, my heart was quite capable of 144 bpm into a headwind or up a hill. However, i can still run a chainsaw or sawzall with frequent pant breaks, load up the pickup with wood, and unload the waste later the same day. I will keep doing that as long as I enjoy being out here on the land. Lots of nice butterflies and bumblebees were feeding off the flowers this summer. In the winter I have to make do with Pilates exercises, but may be still able to get out here and cut up trees in non-violent winter weather: Now that I have bought a pickup truck.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

It appears that exoskeletons are ready for prime time. An exoskeleton is a powered devide that helps you move, including walking, running, cycling, and walking up and down stairs....

Such a device could potentially replace wheelchairs. Or you could keep riding your favorite conventional bike....

Link to Hypershell. I am not affiliated with the company, but I am seriously considering getting an exoskeleton. I'm 80! I need all the help I can get!

Interesting use case: Staying on a beloved unmotorized bike that you either either can't or won't motorize.

At 77 with no conventional bikes left, my best future use case for an exoskeleton would be continuing to walk the dog as my walking ability deteriorates in coming years. That would likely only be after knee replacement, as an exoskeleton probably wouldn't help much if bum knees were the main limiting factor.

But I'll probably need a better exobrain before then. My smartphone is an exobrain of sorts, and I rely on it more and more to help me remember and keep track of all kinds of things. (Thank goodness for phone cameras!) It'll just need to get smarter as I head in the opposite direction.

 

[gromike]

Looks like nothing more than marketing hype. I mean, show me the motors and battery, and how it's all hooked up.
It looks like it would be quite uncomfortable in use.