(Credit: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)
LAS VEGAS—CES 2026 gave me my first experience testing a robotic exoskeleton, and I'm pretty impressed.
Created by Dephy (pronounced "defy"), the Sidekick lifts your heels with every step, making it easier to walk. I'm the first journalist at CES 2026 to demo the device, which just went on sale for $4,500 and is expected to start shipping on Jan. 25.
(Credit: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)A PCMag pick for top assistive tech at CES, the Sidekick consists of a proprietary shoe with a carbon fiber plate on the back that attaches to a battery-powered exoskeleton that straps to your calf. It only took about 15 seconds to put each one on. I then pressed the power buttons and tentatively started walking. For the first few steps, the device analyzes your gait before the battery assistance kicks on with a slight jolt. I literally gasped when I felt it.
"The calves are really the unsung heroes of mobility," Dephy CEO and Cofounder Luke Mooney tells me. "This first product is targeting experiences—walking the dog, going to the store. We're really just trying to help people move in the ways that they used to be able to."
(Credit: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)The shoes look and feel similar to Hoka sneakers and provide good arch support. Inside, the exoskeleton features a brushless electric motor, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors, and a controller. A removable battery powers the motor.
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"It's using the onboard sensors and controller to understand how you walk, create customized models in real-time, and then produce augmentation strategies that help you, individually," Mooney says.
The device didn't feel heavy on my legs at all. Because it straps to your calf, and not your hips or knees like other robotic exoskeletons we're seeing at CES, the Sidekick doesn't draw too much attention. It doesn't make it easier to stand, but it lives up to its promise, giving you a small boost with each step. After walking around The Venetian lobby for about 20 minutes wearing the Sidekick, I found myself wishing I had the device at the airport yesterday en route to Vegas.
(Credit: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)Like an e-bike, the Sidekick provides several assistance levels. On the medium power level, I felt a few slight moments of instability, but overall, the main sensation was that of support. When I abruptly stopped walking, it erroneously lifted a heel, but this only happened one time. After that, I learned to sort of brace myself before stopping.
"There's a low-level learning curve where you're still adapting, and it's adapting to you," Mooney says.