This Robotic Exoskeleton Put a Spring in My Step

Just going for a walk in New York in my Bionic shoes

I'm wearing Defy. These are a supported, kind of an exoskeleton-like system

that launched at CES, but actually went on sale in January. And this is my first time wearing any sort of exoskeleton

Defy is specifically aimed to make it easier on your ankles, which is fascinating

The system here, which costs about $4,500, is one that uses specialized shoes

that securely lock in to these shin devices that I wear here that are motorized

They kind of feel like wearing boots. So they're comfortable. The shoes are very comfortable

And this part feels like a nice shin boot support. And when you're walking, they begin to recognize your gait without an app

And they use AI to kind of calibrate. And you're meant to walk normally

And then when I walk, I start to feel this kick-up spring in my step that's coming from here

And it's like a little kick, kick, like that. can be brought up to three different power levels

Two is the one I've been doing most of the time. And it feels really noticeable

And at first it feels like, wow, am I meant to change how I'm walking

But no, you're meant to just walk the way you're normally walking. Kind of get used to that feel

Defy started by testing with the military and seeing how this worked for people who had issues with their body and walking

And the research that the company has done has shown that it's had benefits not only in how your ankles function

but also for longevity of your knees and your hips. So the power benefits are meant to extend

up and they are comfortable. I mean, they definitely have a little bit of a heavier

leg feel kind of like wearing walking boots, but they already feel, I mean, I can't tell

because I haven walked in them for a whole day but the idea is that if you were having discomfort if you having issues walking these could potentially work very well for you They also fall right in that middle zone for like medical wellness device

So you'd have to consult with a doctor and see that you can use medical flex band on these

But, you know, would it be the right solution? You kind of have to figure it out

It's all changing landscape. But unlike those ones that kind of go up to your hips, this is about really that ankle support zone and how it would feel there

But I feel like there's going to be more types of devices like this that start to emerge

especially as the robotics landscape starts to borrow a lot of those ideas and cross-pollinate

kind of making the prosthetics and the robotic systems both work better

What I can say is that these actually feel pretty normal. and even despite the unusual looks

I'm just fascinated to go for my first walk in a get-up like this. I feel power walk-y

It's very power walk-y. So who is Defy for? Well, according to the company

it's for people who might want to walk longer and are finding it harder to do so. Maybe that's because they're aging

or it's their ankles or their knees, something like that. That's where the support is targeted at

Would a doctor recommend that? Well, that's the fuzzy zone. That's something that a lot of these companies are working towards figuring out

When does a doctor feel like it's a good choice? Is it proven out? Does it feel like the best fit for you

I'm curious because I'm getting older. These legs are getting more tired and there's a lot of this tech emerging

And Defy is already working with Nike on a project called Amplify. Nike Amplify are powered shoes that should be coming out around 2028 built on similar tech

And this is like an early first taste of that. There's a lot of these types of devices that are coming out for different needs

This is the first time I've worn any of them on my feet. If you have questions or comments, let me know down below

And thanks for walking with me