Anhui's hiking trial lets visitors rent lightweight exoskeleton robots that add power uphill and cushioning downhill. The wearable senses body movement and supports the legs to cut strain and protect knees. Qiyun Mountain scenic area in Xiuning County, Huangshan City, offered the rentals during the 2026 National Day holiday to help visitors climb with less effort, according to Xinhua via People's Daily Online in the holiday rental report. Staff fit the devices on site and showed tourists how to wear and use them.
Table of Contents
- What the wearable does on a climb
- How it senses and adjusts each step
- Where Anhui tested the devices
- Battery, weight and assistance range
- Cost, queues and who gains most
What the wearable does on a climb
An exoskeleton for hiking is a powered frame worn over clothing. The Anhui devices are described as lightweight wearables that sense body movements during walking.
Uphill, the system adds assistive force to forward and upward steps. Downhill, it cushions impact to protect knees and reduce leg strain.
How it senses and adjusts each step
The wearable locks around the waist, thighs and knees. It uses AI to detect walking rhythm and force, then adjusts assistance in real time step-by-step, according to Sixth Tone in the field-test description.
That step-by-step adjustment matters on uneven mountain paths. Walk pace, slope load and leg force change constantly, so the device responds to each stride rather than pushing at a fixed level.
Where Anhui tested the devices
Qiyun Mountain deployed over 20 exoskeletons as hiker numbers grew during the holiday period. Staff stayed on site to instruct tourists in wearing and operation. Huangshan Mountain started earlier, with robotic exoskeletons in trial use since February 2025, according to China Daily via Dahe.cn in the Huangshan trial report.
Planners also considered public offers of smart knee straps and walking sticks. Mile Bot, a robotics company, developed a smart walking robot tailored for outdoor hiking and stair climbing. Its device underwent field trials on Huangshan Mountain slopes, according to People's Daily Online.
Battery, weight and assistance range
One operator-reported specification is 1.8 kilograms, 3-5 hours per charge, up to 15 newton-meters of assistance over about 14 kilometers. Light weight helps because hikers carry the device for the whole route.
The 3-5 hour range fits a steep section or half-day outing better than a full mountain traverse. Visitors should treat charge level, route length and return time as one decision.
Cost, queues and who gains most
Typical rentals cost around 80 yuan for three hours, with steep-section climb times reported halved. That combination widens access for older and mobility-limited hikers who want to keep climbing.
Scale remains the main limit. Early fleets were small and queues formed, with one site reporting 10 devices in short supply, two-hour waits and expansion plans.
- Arrive early on holidays and peak weekends
- Ask staff about fit around waist, thighs and knees
- Plan steep sections inside the three-hour rental window
- Keep downhill knee comfort in mind, not only uphill speed
