LAS VEGAS—CES 2026 gave me my first expertise testing a robotic exoskeleton, and I am fairly impressed.
Created by Dephy (pronounced “defy”), the Sidekick lifts your heels with each step, making it simpler to stroll. I am the primary journalist at CES 2026 to demo the gadget, which simply went on sale for $4,500 and is predicted to start out delivery on Jan. 25.
(Credit score: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)
The Sidekick consists of a proprietary shoe with a carbon fiber plate on the again that attaches to a battery-powered exoskeleton that straps to your calf. It solely took about 15 seconds to place every one on. I then pressed the facility buttons and tentatively began strolling. For the primary few steps, the gadget analyzes your gait earlier than the battery help kicks on with a slight jolt. I actually gasped once I felt it.
“The calves are actually the unsung heroes of mobility,” Dephy CEO and Cofounder Luke Mooney tells me. “This primary product is focusing on experiences—strolling the canine, going to the shop. We’re actually simply attempting to assist folks transfer within the ways in which they used to have the ability to.”
(Credit score: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)
The sneakers feel and appear just like Hoka sneakers and supply good arch help. Inside, the exoskeleton includes a brushless electrical motor, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors, and a controller. A detachable battery powers the motor.
“It is utilizing the onboard sensors and controller to know the way you stroll, create personalized fashions in real-time, after which produce augmentation methods that make it easier to, individually,” Mooney says.
The gadget did not really feel heavy on my legs in any respect. As a result of it straps to your calf, and never your hips or knees like different robotic exoskeletons we’re seeing at CES, the Sidekick does not draw an excessive amount of consideration. It does not make it simpler to face, however it lives as much as its promise, supplying you with a small enhance with every step. After strolling round The Venetian foyer for about 20 minutes sporting the Sidekick, I discovered myself wishing I had the gadget on the airport yesterday en path to Vegas.
(Credit score: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)
Like an e-bike, the Sidekick offers a number of help ranges. On the medium energy degree, I felt just a few slight moments of instability, however general, the principle sensation was that of help. After I abruptly stopped strolling, it erroneously lifted a heel, however this solely occurred one time. After that, I discovered to kind of brace myself earlier than stopping.
“There is a low-level studying curve the place you are still adapting, and it is adapting to you,” Mooney says.
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Angela Moscaritolo
Managing Editor, Shopper Electronics
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I am PCMag’s managing editor for shopper electronics, overseeing an skilled group of analysts protecting sensible residence, residence leisure, wearables, health and well being tech, and numerous different product classes. I’ve been with PCMag for greater than 10 years, and in that point have written greater than 6,000 articles and critiques for the location. I beforehand served as an analyst centered on sensible residence and wearable gadgets, and earlier than that I used to be a reporter protecting shopper tech information. I am additionally a yoga teacher, and have been actively educating group and personal courses for practically a decade.
Previous to becoming a member of PCMag, I used to be a reporter for SC Journal, specializing in hackers and pc safety. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia College, and began my profession writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
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