Artificial Intelligence is everywhere these days—changing the game in pretty much every area of tech. But I’ll be honest, I never thought AI would be showing up in the massage world. Well, that’s exactly what Aescape is doing, and they were kind enough to let me try out one of their 30-minute AI massages. Here’s my first impressions and where I think this whole thing could go.
So, What is Aescape?
Aescape is a company that’s developed an AI-powered robot for massage therapy. It’s designed to replicate the techniques of a human massage therapist, but the goal isn’t to replace humans—it’s about offering something that’s accessible, consistent, and convenient.
A Little Backstory
Now, here’s where it gets interesting: I’m not just a guy who’s into tech, gaming, health, and fitness—I’m also a Licensed massage therapist. So I went into this experience super curious. The closest thing I’ve had to a “robotic” massage so far was from one of those chairs or a massage gun, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I only got a 30-minute session focused on my back and glutes, so this was really just a quick test run for me.
The Experience
Right off the bat, the experience was pretty smooth. I was told to change into some clothes they provided, then I lay down while the robot scanned my body. I was able to select the music I wanted, and the pressure level, too. Once the robot started its thing, I could immediately feel how warm and slow the pressure was, which gave me a good feeling about the whole thing.
I also had full control over the session—I could stop it at any time if there was an issue—and I could see exactly where the robot was working on my body in real-time on a screen in front of me. What really impressed me was how well the robot mimicked human massage strokes. It wasn’t just repeating the same motions over and over. It had a pretty technical approach—gradually warming up my muscles, getting deeper into the tissue without ever crossing the line into uncomfortable. At certain points, the robot even hit areas I really needed massaged, and honestly, it felt just like a human therapist working on me.
Where AI Fits In
For a 30-minute session, I came away impressed. It was honestly better than a lot of massages I’ve had. But I do wonder: How adaptable can this thing get? Will it give me the same massage every time, or will it get better and more personalized as it “learns” about me, like a human therapist would? The AI aspect really has me curious, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.
One more session would give me some more answers, but really, the future of this tech depends on how the AI evolves. I don’t think it’s going to replace your massage therapist anytime soon, so don’t worry about robots taking over everything. But I do see this kind of thing becoming a solid option in places like airports, gyms, hotels, spas, and even luxury residential buildings.
What’s next?
I’m truly curious to see where this goes and it’s impact on the Massage industry. AI in in everything and massage is one of the oldest forms of comfort and healing. There’s a space for everyone in the world and it seems like robots too.
