The new Ultra S, Max S, and Pro S get a response time upgrade and 3D-printed titanium frames to boost your outdoor trek
Hypershell has officially announced its highly anticipated follow-up to its bionic leg frames: the brand-new Hypershell X Series.
Moving firmly past the experimental stage, the Shenzhen brand’s latest lineup introduces three distinct models—the flagship X Ultra S ($1,999), the mainstream X Max S ($1,499), and the everyday X Pro S ($999)—all now available for purchase.
While all of Hypershell’s exoskeletons provide an assistive boost, this latest generation does so more quickly, smoothly, and with more AI-powered smarts than before, thanks to a completely rebuilt internal brain and highly upgraded motor tech.
Nex-gen smarts
At the center of this leap is the new AI motion control algorithm—something the brand is dubbing ‘HyperIntuition’.
While last-gen models relied on more rigid, rule-based mechanical programming, the X Series shifts to an end-to-end AI system that continuously unifies how the device perceives, predicts, and plans your stride.
The real-world payoff—at least on paper—looks immense: the new series boasts 97.5% gait-synchronization efficiency over uneven ground and responds to your leg movements in 0.31 seconds.
That represents a massive 64.5% reduction in lag over the previous generation, while Hypershell is even promising a future over-the-air firmware update that adds an ‘AI Agent’ to act as a personal movement coach on the trail.
Lighten up
On the hardware front, the Ultra S and Max S models are powered by a next-generation M-One Ultra motor system that Hypershell indicates delivers up to 90% energy conversion efficiency while cutting thermal losses in half.
Its independent testing suggests this translates into a 39.2% drop in oxygen consumption and a 42.7% reduction in heart rate during strenuous activity, meaning you burn significantly less energy on steep climbs.
The flagship Ultra S also sports a 3D-printed aerospace-grade titanium hip tube and carbon-fiber leg levers that it claims can withstand a million high-torque cycles. There’s now also a waist pad that morphs to your body shape, complete with a silicone anti-slip grip and an ergonomic back pad for lower back support.
Performance-wise, the beastly Ultra S and Max S pump out 1000 watts of power and 22 Nm of torque, reaching top-speed assistance of 25 km/h. The Ultra S gets a 30km range per battery and ships with two hot-swappable cells, alongside dedicated Dune, Snow, and Boost modes.
The tamer Pro S dips to 800 watts and a 17.5 km range for everyday neighborhood walking. To prove its rugged chops, Hypershell is currently deploying the tech on a live Mount Everest expedition with elite mountaineers and launching the HyperLIFT initiative to donate units to 50 search and rescue organizations for real-world testing.
The Wareable take: Smart steps forward
When Wareable strapped on the previous-generation Hypershell X Ultra in the hills of Berlin and the Welsh mountains last year, it genuinely felt like using an e-bike for your legs.
However, as impressive as it was, you could still occasionally feel the machine calculating its next move when the terrain got unpredictable.
By hacking away more than 64% of that processing lag—reducing it to less than a third of a second— the X Series directly addresses the biggest hurdle in consumer robotics: making a motorized frame feel entirely natural and extension-like.
The physical upgrades are just as vital here. Swapping out parts for 3D-printed titanium and introducing a proper three-zone ergonomic waist pad shows Hypershell is listening to real-world trail feedback about fit and hotspots. While it’s not something we personally experienced during testing, plenty of other users around us had fit issues and often had to retighten the straps around the knees and waist.
While the high-tech spec sheet is impressive, the decision to deploy these devices on Mount Everest and into the hands of 50 search-and-rescue teams through the HyperLIFT program is the smartest move the company could make. It shifts the X Series away from being a wacky, expensive toy for early adopters and firmly establishes it as a serious piece of utility gear for the great outdoors.
We’re looking forward to putting it to the test later this year.
