Health benefits without the awkwardness

A 5,000-year-old therapeutic practice gets an upgrade. Fully automated, heated robotic arms powered by AI ensure that Aescape’s massager provides a personalized, customizable experience that doesn’t require you to be naked and covered in oil.

Therapeutic massage has been used since around 3,000 BCE. Hindus used it in the practice of Ayurveda, or ‘life health’ medicine, as a way of healing injuries, relieving pain, and preventing and curing illness by restoring the body’s natural and physical balance.

With Aescape, a wellness-focused robotics company, joining forces with design company Whipsaw, the 5,000-year-old practice has received a twenty-first-century upgrade. Introducing the world’s most advanced massage, courtesy of an AI-powered robot.

Whipsaw’s goal is to go beyond simply designing a beautiful product; it’s about producing a deeper connection between humans and machines. So, instead of reinventing a healing tradition that’s thousands of years old (and works), they set about elevating it.

Aescape’s mission is to empower people to live happier, healthier lives. To achieve empowerment, it was essential that its robotic massager, which has been seven years in the making, had the user as the focus. After many iterations, Whipsaw and Aescape arrived at their final, knot-dissolving solution.

Before the massage begins, the Aescape massage platform uses integrated infrared sensors to scan the body and, powered by AI, deliver a personalized experience. The machine learning algorithm the massager uses means it learns as it goes, collecting data from all of the bodies it has massaged to provide a more intelligent session.

The platform’s soft components – the headrest, armrest, and bolster – are complemented by harder, heated massage contact points, called Aerpoints, modeled to simulate the blade of the palms, the forearm or elbow. A digital control interface under the headrest, visible when the user is lying face down, lets the user know, in real-time, where the Aerpoints are and which area of the body they’ll target next. They can adjust the pressure accordingly and can also use the interface to play soothing music. For peace of mind, the massager includes a safety shut-off button.

Some people dislike being massaged. For them, lying, scantily clothed or completely naked while an oily-handed stranger violates their personal space can be too much. That’s why Aescape’s robotic massage could be just the thing because there’s no need to be nude. Users wear Aerwear, custom apparel that allows the robotic arms to perform a frictionless massage without oil.

Aescape

Reviews of the next-gen massage tech have been positive.

“The robot massaged my upper back, shoulders, spine, lower back, and glutes,” said Nina Raemont, Associate Editor of ZDNet, in her March 2024 article. “I enjoyed the pressure level customization and felt like I was in control of the massage, something that’s not always the case when you’re seeing a human massage therapist. There was one moment when the pressure the arm was putting on me was too intense, but I suddenly remembered that I could cool it down and receive a massage on my own terms and preferences.”

Raemont said a downside was that the robot wasn’t great at targeting knots. Brenda Stolyer from Wired had a similarly positive experience with the Aescape robotic massager and was happy with how it worked out her knotty muscles.

“I was amazed at how well it replicated the feeling of a traditional massage,” she said. “That might be because the company worked with massage therapists to train the system. Throughout my massage, the Aerpoints would quickly alternate between its softer, flatter sides and pointed edges depending on the area. I could feel it taking the time to knead the knots out of my upper shoulders before heading to my lower back.”

Design professionals were also happy with the Aescape robotic massager, which was recognized this year with a Core77 Design Award in the Health and Wellness category.

Aescape plans to roll out its robotic massagers at hotels, spas, corporate officers, and fitness centers. Currently, you can book an Aescape robotic massage at two ‘early access’ locations in New York City through their website.

Source: Whipsaw