My First Robot Massage

In many ways, the room looked familiar. As with past massages I had received, the lights were dim, the air smelled vaguely of aromatherapy and there was an inviting bed in the center of the space.

But one thing was different: Attached to the bed were two large, white robotic arms, which were about to work on my body for a half-hour.

The hulking machine was developed by Aescape, a start-up based in New York that claims to have created “the world’s most advanced massage.” The contraption includes infrared sensors, which scan the body to create a detailed map of its muscle structure. Using machine learning, it then analyzes the information and creates a personalized massage plan. The robot is currently available at a hotel and massage studio in New York City, and Aescape says it will be on offer at 10 Equinox locations this month.

The company is betting that the parts of a traditional massage some people don’t enjoy — the oils, the nudity, the small talk — can be solved using artificial intelligence and robotics.

I was at the Aescape offices in Manhattan to test the theory.

I changed into an outfit provided by the company (leggings and a tight, long-sleeved shirt). Once on the bed, I lay face down with my head in a doughnut pillow and my arms resting comfortably overhead on a bolster. On the other side of the pillow was a touch screen. I tapped a button to begin.