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Two hulking, white robotic arms shot out the sides of the massage table. In place of hands were curved, disclike nubs, giving a high-tech crustacean aesthetic. The vibe was more spinal surgery than spa experience. Yet I was there to be massaged. The robot nubs, heated to a toasty 95 degrees, would soon get to work tenderizing my muscles.
Was I a little nervous that the nubs would bruise, chafe, or otherwise harm me? Yes I was. But I was also excited. This was my chance to try Aescape, the robot massage startup thatโs been making waves in East Coast fitness centers and spas since July.
Some $80 million and many years of R&D went into building the first robot masseur, according to CEO Eric Litman. โThis is the first real application of robots fully autonomously coming in contact with human bodies,โ he said. โThat required a tremendous amount of planning and technical execution.โ
Since October, Bay Area influencers had been getting demos of Aescape at the companyโs new SoMa location, and I, frankly, was growing jealous. โThe robot hands felt like human hands,โ gushed Matt Benfield on Tiktok. โIt felt like a normal massage,โ reported Kaitlyn Edejer. โIโm not a fan of normal massages,โ posted Gilded Ashes. โThis was a 10/10 experience.โ
Regular (ie, non-influencer) San Franciscans will be able to try the service for themselves by late February, Litman told The Standard. Pricing for the robot massage varies based on location, with Aescapes currently stationed in New York, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, and Washington D.C., plus some hush-hush โsports team training centers.โ Expect to pay a $2 minimum per minute, so likely at least $60 โ but thereโs no tip required! I received my robo-massage for free as a media member, but I still wondered if Iโd pay the price for the experience.