In early 2024, the race toward “touch digitization” gained momentum with the emergence of Capsix Robotics and Aescape. Both companies are introducing AI robotic massage experiences catered to the public. Notably, massage therapists and educators Jonathan Grassi and Eric Stephenson are involved with the product development and represent these respective manufacturers.
Despite their independent development, the machines share similarities. They both employ robotic arms, akin to those used in surgical procedures, fitted with pads to emulate the massage experience. Programmed protocols guide the arms from clients’ glutes to upper backs and shoulders, with sessions lasting varying lengths.
While Capsix’s iYU machine features a single robotic arm, Aescape offers two, simultaneously massaging both sides of the client. iYU operates directly on the skin, with clients removing upper-body clothing, and can be used with or without lubrication. In contrast, Aescape clients are fully clothed, wearing the “Aerwear” apparel provided by the company to allow for optimal friction between skin and machine.
Grassi, a bronze medalist at the 2018 World Massage Championships in freestyle massage and subject of the film Touched: A Massage Story, expressed enthusiasm, seeing this as a pioneering modality for introducing massage to a wider audience. Stephenson, former director of education for Elements Massage and current president of iMassage Inc., hailed it as a groundbreaking innovation in massage.
Acknowledging potential hesitancy among today’s practitioners, Grassi and Stephenson stress that these machines will complement rather than replace human practitioners. They envision the technology expanding massage accessibility, particularly for those with reservations about traditional massage due to various factors such as lack of understanding regarding the benefits of therapeutic touch, intimacy concerns, body image issues, or past trauma. Ultimately, Grassi and Stephenson foresee these machines acting as a bridge, guiding hesitant clients toward human touch practitioners once apprehensions are eased.
As of this writing, both machines are in the final stages before release in summer 2024. The Mayo Clinic has been studying robotic massage as a post-surgery treatment for several years. And while Capsix and Aescape are the manufacturers represented here, others are in the space as well, including Massage Robotics, AiTreat, and Philonlabs/AIBotics. ABMP will stay abreast of any developments and share any new information as it arises.
