On the steep stone steps of the Great Wall and Fragrant Hills, a climber moves steadily, marveling at the "effortlessness" provided by a pair of "mechanical legs" strapped between his thighs and calves.

This is the exoskeleton robot independently developed by Beijing Ai-Robot Technology Co, Ltd, a company in Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area (Beijing E-Town), the first domestically produced AI adaptive knee-protecting exoskeleton robot.

"This robot is specifically designed for scenarios such as mountain climbing and stair climbing," said Shuai Mei, chairman of Ai-Robot Technology. It weighs about 2kg and has a battery life of over 6 hours. It primarily consists of a chip and battery at the waist, high-precision sensors and motors at the knees, and connections and straps. It can use AI technology to monitor the user's gait, speed and other factors in real-time, automatically adjusting the assistance strength to provide support and protection to the user's knees. During mountain climbing, the exoskeleton robot enhances knee support, and during descent, it provides cushioning protection to reduce knee impact force.

As a typical example of human-machine integration, the exoskeleton robot faced technological challenges in human ergonomics, AI algorithms, and more during its development. In order to make it more efficient and knee-protective for users, the Ai-Robot technical team conducted extensive research in human ergonomics, such as walking efficiency and adaptability, to achieve better human-machine fit. The robot´s precise control through AI algorithms enables it to seamlessly integrate with human behavior.

The exoskeleton robot showcased at the Great Wall and Fragrant Hills is still in the prototype stage. Upcoming stages of its development will focus on further adjustments and optimizations related to weight reduction, exterior design and other factors. The exoskeleton robot is expected to be released to the market in the second half of this year.