Your Next Backpack Might Pack Robotic Legs

For $2,000, you can now buy a robot that fits in your backpack and powers your legs when you walk. Not science fiction—shopping reality.

The Verge's reporter didn't just demo the Wirobotics Wim S at CES 2025; they actually worked the show floor with it strapped to their waist, walking miles through Las Vegas casinos and convention halls. The 1.2kg device doesn't make you faster or stronger, but it does make every step less exhausting.

This isn't about trying the latest gadget for a few minutes. This is about robotic assistance becoming part of someone's actual workday.

From Fanny Pack to Force Multiplier

The Wim S looks more like a hiking belt than a robot. Built-in sensors analyze your walking pattern in real-time, while motors provide assistance at precisely the right moment in your stride. You won't suddenly become superhuman, but you'll cover the same distance with less muscle fatigue.

"This year, I found it easier," the reporter noted, comparing it to last year's bulkier exoskeleton experience. The difference? Portability. Pack it in your bag, strap it on when needed, take it off when you don't. It's wearable robotics designed for real life, not just demonstrations.

The technology particularly shines for *accessibility*. For people with mobility challenges, it offers expanded independence. For everyone else, it's about extending endurance—whether that's navigating massive trade shows, hiking longer trails, or simply reducing the physical toll of daily activities.

The $2,000 Question

That price point matters more than the technology itself. $2,000 puts robotic assistance in premium smartphone territory—expensive but not impossibly so. It signals a shift from research prototype to consumer product.

Compare this to early smartphones, which cost similar amounts and seemed like luxury items until they became necessities. The Wim S might be following the same trajectory, just for physical augmentation instead of digital connectivity.

But unlike smartphones, exoskeletons face unique adoption challenges. Social acceptance, battery life, and the simple question of when you'd actually want to wear one all factor into whether this technology finds mainstream success.

Walking Into an Augmented Future

The Wim S represents something bigger than walking assistance—it's wearable technology that *actively* enhances human capability rather than just monitoring it. Most wearables today are passive: they track steps, measure heart rate, display notifications. This one actually changes what your body can do.

That shift from monitoring to augmenting could reshape how we think about human-machine interaction. If a device can reduce the energy cost of walking by even 10-15%, what happens when that becomes normal? Do we start expecting that level of assistance? Do stairs become less of a consideration in building design?

The reporter's casual mention of using it "for the second year in a row" hints at something profound: robotic assistance becoming routine rather than remarkable. When technology fades into the background of daily use, that's when it truly succeeds.