Robotexoskeleton enable Chinese tourists to climb up

Robotexoskeleton enable Chinese tourists to climb up

The 1,545 meter high and impressive summit of the Tai Shan in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong has lost nothing of his challenge for many hikers. With over 7,000 steps, the mountain transforms even the fitest hikers into shaky legs. Videos on Chinese social media platforms, including Douyin, show how even the most experienced climbers sweat, collapse or try to climb the mountain on all fours.

Innovative technology for climbing the Tai Shan

To help visitors to reach the summit, the tourism authorities in Shandong have developed a new idea: robotic exoskeleton. On January 29, the first day of the Chinese New Year, ten AI-controlled exoskeletons were introduced to the Tai Shan, which attracted over 200 users during a one-week test phase. The use of the device costs between 60 and 80 yuan (approx. 8 to 11 USD), such as the Xinhua-Nachrichtenagentur reported.

The functioning of the exoskeleton

The exoskeleton, which was developed in collaboration with the Taishan Cultural Tourism Group and the Shenzhen-based Kenqing Technology, weighs only 1.8 kilograms and is wrapped around the waist and thigh of the user. Driven by AI algorithms, it can recognize the movements of the users and offers "synchronized support" to reduce the burden on the legs.

experiences of users

Each exoskeleton is fed by two batteries that last about five hours, and it usually takes six hours to reach the summit. Li Chengde, a 68-year-old tourist from Jinan, enthusiastic about the functionality of the exoskeleton, explained: "It really works! It felt like someone was pulling up the mountain!"

Jacky, a content creator from Shandong, tried the device over hundreds of steps last Sunday for half an hour. "Experience is definitely easier," he said about climbing with the device. "But as soon as I had it, I felt a little awkward when I ran alone." After a phase of getting used to it, he noticed that walking was "really exhausting" without the technical support.

challenges and improvements

jacky also mentioned that the exoskeleton was impractical when he had to use the toilet or bind his laces. The device and pulling out of the device requires additional hands, and the complete crouching could endanger the tight straps. He also noted that the battery life could still be improved. Wang from the Taishan Cultural Tourism Group announced that the team wants to extend the battery life and set up replacement stations along the hiking trails.

future prospects for exoskeletons

The exoskeletons are currently in the beta phase and are to come to the mass market at the beginning of March, as local public relations report. Despite some challenges, Jacky thinks the exoskeleton robots for a "good product" and a "true blessing" for seniors, children and visitor limited mobility. Half of the hikers who tested the prototype exoskeleton on the Tai Shan were senior: inside.

In addition, the technology opens up discussions about broader applications in a country with a fast aging . Last year 22 % of the Chinese population were over 60 years old, and this number will increase to 30 % by 2035, whereby the number of seniors could exceed 400 million, as the Chinese National Statistics Office reports.

The market size for intelligent geriatric care in China is estimated at 6.8 trillion Yuan (about 934 billion USD) by 2024, reported Chinese state television CCTV. Kenqing Technology, one of the developers of the exoskeleton, aims at this huge age market and has brought out an exoskeleton specially designed for older users, which weighs 2.4 kilograms and with 17,000 yuan ($ 2,334) on the E-Commerce platform Taobao is sold.

In order to exploit the full potential of care robots for older people, industry insiders demand stronger political incentives to scale production and at the same time to keep prices affordable for everyone.

Note from the editor: Chris Lau von CNN contributed to reporting.