FREE Bionics HipBO Active price & specs

FREE Bionics (Taiwan / Japan) FREE Bionics HipBO Active (1)

FREE Bionics (Taiwan / Japan) FREE Bionics HipBO Active (2)

FREE Bionics (Taiwan / Japan) FREE Bionics HipBO Active (3)

~$1,308 (¥206,400)

Announced onlyButtons onlyHip exoskeleton2.0 kg main unit64.8 Wh batteryKickstarter

Not releasedShipping: Kickstarter delivery est. Mar 2027.

Control: Not possible. The device has buttons only and no app or computer interface.

LEARN MORE (Kickstarter campaign) ↗

Overview

HipBO Active is a powered hip exoskeleton from FREE Bionics, a Taiwanese maker of clinic exoskeletons working since 2016, sold through its Japanese arm, FREE Bionics Japan. It is aimed at older adults who want to keep walking and taking stairs on their own, with no app to set up. A waist belt carries the battery at the back, and a motor at each hip drives a titanium rod strapped to the thigh. The frame uses titanium, aluminum alloy and nylon, with an IP54 rating and Regular and Large sizes. An earlier HipBO was shown by Taiwan's ITRI research institute at CES 2025 as a hip assist device under 3 kg, and the joint ITRI origin of the current design is (unconfirmed).

The wearer picks Active Aging Mode for gentle everyday help or Turbo Mode for stairs and slopes, then one of 10 levels on the unit itself. FREE Bionics says the controller reacts within 1 ms and adapts to each person's rhythm, and that 95% of older test users could put it on alone after the first try. The Kickstarter launched on October 28, 2026 and runs to November 27, with mass production planned for December 2026 and delivery in February to March 2027. Its button-only design sets it apart from app-tuned hiking units like the Hypershell X, and its closest relatives are walking aids for seniors such as the Samsung Bot Fit and the Honda Walking Assist. Torque, motor type and sensor details are not published.

Type: Exoskeleton · Consumer & outdoor
Maker: FREE Bionics (Taiwan / Japan)
Released: 2026
Price: ~$1,308 (¥206,400)
Status: Announced only
Best for: Ages 16+
Programming: No programmability

Price and shipping

Lowest Kickstarter pledge, the Super Early Bird at ¥206,400 (about $1,308), open until November 6, 2026 with 141 of 149 left. Later Early Bird tiers step up to ¥254,400 (~$1,612), and the standard retail-price reward is ¥369,000 (~$2,339). The campaign states an MSRP of US$2,290. Kickstarter campaign, checked November 2026.

Shipping: Kickstarter delivery est. Mar 2027. Live on Kickstarter until November 27, 2026. FREE Bionics plans mass production in December 2026 and delivery in February to March 2027. The main tiers ship worldwide, with VAT and import duties paid by the backer and a one-year global limited warranty. A Japan retail launch was announced for November 2026. Kickstarter ↗

Specifications

Category	Exoskeletons & exosuits · Consumer & outdoor
Released	2026
Country	Taiwan, Japan
Availability	Announced only
Crowdfunding	Kickstarter · Live campaign · 13 backers · ~$39,650 (¥6,257,900) raised of a ¥1,000,000 (~$6,340) goal · Oct 28, 2026 – Nov 27, 2026 · delivery est. Mar 2027 (as of Nov 2, 2026) Campaign ↗
Programmability	No programmability
Built-in autonomy	Reactive · Responds to its surroundings without a map, such as avoiding obstacles or following a person
LLM support	None · No voice assistant or LLM. The "AI" in the marketing refers to gait-adaptive assist control.
Best for	Ages 16+ (estimated)
Vision sensors	No vision sensors
Actuators	Unknown
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Proprietary / undisclosed
Control	Buttons only
Weight	2.0 kg main unit without battery
Assistance	Motors at both hips add a lift to each stride while walking, climbing or descending stairs and fast walking. FREE Bionics reports a 45% longer median walking distance, 2 fewer rest stops on stairs and a 23% lower heart rate in a five-floor climb, all from internal testing. Assist torque is not published.
Joints	Hips
Battery & runtime	64.8 Wh battery, up to 30,000 steps per charge, 2 h to recharge.
Operation	On-device buttons only, with no phone or app. Two modes (Active Aging and Turbo) and 10 assist levels. The maker says its AI adapts the timing to the wearer's gait.
Speed	Not published (walking, stairs and fast walking supported)
Sensors	Not published. Joint angle sensing at the hip motors is likely (unconfirmed).
Compute	Not published (maker quotes 1 ms system latency and under 0.1 ms motor response)
SDK	None

Timeline

Jan 2025Trade showITRI showed an earlier HipBO hip assist device, under 3 kg, at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. ITRI press release ↗
Sep 15, 2026AnnouncedFREE Bionics announced a global Kickstarter for October 2026 and a Japan launch for November 2026. FREE Bionics ↗
Oct 28, 2026Campaign launchedKickstarter launched with ¥206,400 (~$1,308) Super Early Bird pledges against a ¥1,000,000 goal, passed by November 2. Kickstarter ↗
Nov 27, 2026Campaign endScheduled end of the Kickstarter campaign. Kickstarter ↗
Mar 2027Estimated deliveryFirst deliveries planned for February to March 2027, after mass production starts in December 2026. Kickstarter ↗

Common questions

How much does FREE Bionics HipBO Active cost?

FREE Bionics HipBO Active is listed at ~$1,308 (¥206,400). Lowest Kickstarter pledge, the Super Early Bird at ¥206,400 (about $1,308), open until November 6, 2026 with 141 of 149 left. Later Early Bird tiers step up to ¥254,400 (~$1,612), and the standard retail-price reward is ¥369,000 (~$2,339). The campaign states an MSRP of US$2,290. Kickstarter campaign, checked November 2026.

Can FREE Bionics HipBO Active be bought today?

Not yet. It has been announced but is not on sale. Live on Kickstarter until November 27, 2026. FREE Bionics plans mass production in December 2026 and delivery in February to March 2027. The main tiers ship worldwide, with VAT and import duties paid by the backer and a one-year global limited warranty. A Japan retail launch was announced for November 2026.