For instance, an outdoor exoskeleton device named Vigx Pi6 can analyze ground conditions in advance via an AI terrain camera and dynamically adjust power assistance accordingly.

Another product, the Hypershell X Ultra, is capable of switching modes to adapt to different environments including snow, sand and uphill climbs.

Meanwhile, the R&D team at Tianjin Industrial Research Technology Development Co focuses more on the core question of whether ordinary people are actually willing to wear such devices on a daily basis.

"Many exoskeletons have powerful functions, but average people won't go out carrying a heavy device every day," said Qiu. "What we aim to create is a product that can truly integrate into daily life."

Currently, this exoskeleton has completed research and finalization and entered small-batch trial production.

The R&D team has conducted tests in settings such as parks and nursing homes, and plans to further open up experience opportunities at Tianjin's Panshan Scenic Area.

For the development team, outdoor sports are just the starting point.

As population aging deepens and rehabilitation demand continues to grow, it is hoped exoskeletons will further expand into senior care, medical treatment and community services in the future.

In clinical rehabilitation applications, exoskeletons have been widely used for gait training of patients with hemiplegia, paraplegia and stroke.

Developed by the Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration at Tianjin University, the "Shengong" series has become one of the most representative achievements in the field of brain-computer interface exoskeletons both domestically and globally. Among them, "Shengong-Shenxing" was officially launched at the 2024 World Intelligence Expo in June 2024, and its innovative walking assistance technology has broken the long-standing international monopoly in the traditional electromyography-driven exoskeleton sector.

Tianjin University's "Shengong" series of exoskeletons have also creatively integrated noninvasive brain-computer interfaces with exoskeleton technology. The developed devices have provided rehabilitation training for more than 3,000 stroke patients in local hospitals in Tianjin and trial services for the elderly in communities.

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of 2025, the population in China aged 60 and over had reached 323.38 million, accounting for 23 percent of the total population. On Sept 20, 2022, Wang Haidong, director-general of the National Health Commission's department of aging and health, said at a news conference that the population aged 60 and over is expected to exceed 400 million by around 2035, accounting for more than 30 percent of the total population, marking China's entry into the severe aging stage.

A growing number of people are beginning to rethink a fundamental question: Can people continue to walk and move freely as they grow old? Embodied intelligence products such as exoskeletons may offer a new answer.