I Tried Aescape's Robot-Arm-Powered Massage Table—and Loved Being in Control - WIRED

[massage]

I had My first-ever professional massage last December during a spa day with some friends. Everyone opted for a traditional massage, which required a preliminary consultation. They disrobed, and the massage took place in a private room. I opted for a shiatsu massage—a clothed experience in a semiprivate area, and while I felt physically relaxed afterward, I didn't have the best time. My limbs were stretched painfully too far, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

So I was intrigued when I learned about Aescape, a fully automated massage table. The contraption is equipped with two robot arms on each side of the table and will sit right at home in any sci-fi flick's medical examination room. I wouldn't say it gives off zen vibes, but I was willing to look past the tech because it offers complete privacy—there's no other human in the room during your massage.

The entire experience is designed to be on-demand. Using Aescape's companion app, you can browse different massage options and book a session based on available tables in your area. I tried it out at Aescape's headquarters in New York City, and the company has partnered with Equinox to launch its massage tables in 10 locations across New York City in May. (You don't have to be an Equinox member to sign up for a session.) The company didn't specify when or if the experience will come to other cities in the US, but it says it plans to add other locations such as hotels and spas in the future. Each session starts at $60.

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Robot Engaged​

Photograph: Aescape

An Aescape massage has the same setup process no matter which location you book. Once I arrived, I had to change into Aerware—the company's custom apparel built specially for the massage—to wear during the session. This helps the depth sensors overhead see your body and guarantees a level of friction when the touch sensors, called “Aerpoints,” come in contact with it. It felt like standard workout wear, so it was comfortable throughout the entirety of the massage.

Once I changed my clothes, I lay down on the massage table, rested my head on the face cradle, and was greeted by a touchscreen display that prompted me to pick a massage. At launch, Aescape will offer 20 massage programs with more to come later in the year. Some will focus on athletic recovery, while others will target general wellness. I was only able to try the Total Back and Glutes massage for my demo.

The next step is a body scan. Directly above the massage table are infrared sensors that capture a 3D computational model of the body. Aescape says this generates over 1.1 million 3D data points that accurately map your body’s position and identify key areas for the targeted massage. Basically, it's what helps the Aerpoints know exactly where they are relative to your body.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

If you're wondering what crossed my mind at this point—about Aescape potentially collecting a visual image of the back of my body—well, there's some good news and bad news. Yes, the company has a visualization of my body in its system; however, it says this data is stored “anonymized from the person," so it's not directly traceable to you. I guess that's some relief.

The information from each massage is used to train the company's machine learning algorithms so that the massages improve over time, and the company has a better idea of how it will work on different body types. “This will continue to improve in its ability to reach the important spots on the body that you want to have treated, to understand more of the body, and to give more hyper-personalized treatments,” says Eric Litman, CEO and founder of Aescape. Once the body scan is successful, the robot arms immediately get to work.

On the display, I could see a timeline of the entire massage on the left of the screen. This shows you which parts are being targeted (like your upper or mid back), how long each part takes, and what's coming next. Litman says in the future, you'll have the option to edit the timeline as it moves along. On the right was my 3D scan, where I could see the Aerpoints moving in real time along my body. This was one of my favorite features. Knowing how far along I was and where, made me feel less anxious throughout the session.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The touchscreen also acts as the control center, allowing you to customize certain parts of the experience. Before the massage started, I adjusted the headrest, armrest, and leg bolster. After it starts, you can adjust the pressure by swiping up or down on the meter, feeling the Aerpoints ease up or intensify as the massage goes along. The screen also doubles as a basic entertainment center; you can swipe through different music genres to play during the massage, and even have different onscreen imagery (like snow, rain, or waves) in case looking at your 3D scan isn't your idea of inner peace.

Robot Work​

To say I was nervous is an understatement. I could feel my body tense up as the Aerpoints made contact, mostly because I braced for the arms to feel jagged and cold. I mean, it's a massage from a robot! To my pleasant surprise, the Aerpoints are heated. It's a nice touch (no pun intended) because it immediately helped relax my muscles.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

I was amazed at how well it replicated the feeling of a traditional massage. 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.

Litman encouraged me to crank up the pressure during certain parts of the massage (to get the full experience), but I chickened out. In case you haven't already noticed, I'm a wimp when it comes to massages and can't handle a lot of force without worrying that I might get injured. I did increase it for a few seconds, but immediately turned it down after I felt like my body was being pinned to the table. (This isn't a reflection on the Aescape, just my wild imagination and a childhood growing up on movies like Final Destination.)

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Aescape does have one physical button: an emergency stop right above the screen. When you press it, the arms immediately stop, the bases disengage, and the arms drop away from the body. Other software controls include a pause button and a pressure control button. But even if you turn the pressure up to the max, it won't exceed that of human force.

“The arms themselves are just strong enough to give a great massage," Litman says. "There are therapists that will apply significantly more force in scenarios than these arms will apply. We've worked with orthopedic surgeons to define positioning papers on how much force and pressure we can apply to different parts of the body. And because we have this complex 3D model of you, we're not just poking into space.”

Photograph: Aescape

It never felt like the Aerpoints were poking around aimlessly. It was properly massaging each area meticulously. I left the session with fewer muscle knots than I walked in with, and who doesn't love that? But my favorite part was the control I had over the whole experience. Whether I was adjusting the pressure, controlling the music, or even cycling through the different visuals to help put my brain at ease, I never once felt the same anxiety that I did with a massage therapist, which hindered my ability to relax.

The company claims its robot massage table isn't meant to replace massage therapists but to fill a gap as the industry rebounds from the pandemic. “People age out of the profession on average in seven years, because it's just so hard on your wrists and lower back,” Litman says. “Talking to industry, talking to spas and hotels—their number one challenge is they can't meet the demand. This is an augmentation solution for a labor industry in crisis.”

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Currently, Aescape is using what it learns from its massages to improve its ability to target certain areas of the body, but over time it will begin to offer tailored massages that best match your specific needs. In the future, you'll also be able to specify the parts of your body that need the most attention and the areas you'd like to avoid (if you've had a prior injury, for example).

You'll also be able to save certain settings to your profile, including the position of the armrest, and leg bolster, along with preferences around pressure, which massages you prefer, and any adjustments you make to the massage. This will then be applied to future sessions that you book.

I wouldn't say this experience has fully transformed my opinion on massages, but it's helped ease me into it. It's simple to book a session through the app, and knowing that I'll be fully in control is enough to get me back into Aerware and under the Aerpoints.


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