We tried the Tom Brady-backed robot masseur — here's the verdict

Mike Deehan

Blue padded massage chair surrounded by white robotic arms in a cozy spa-like room; wooden floor, a shelf with decor, potted plants, and a window with blinds in the background. — Photo: Mike Deehan/Axios

I was feeling a little tight last week, so I booked a 15-minute session with the AI-powered robotic massage machine at the W Hotel in the Theater District.

Why it matters: The Aescape robo-massage machine is backed by Tom Brady and offers 15-, 30- and 60-minute sessions at several spas and gyms around town — no humans involved.

Some of the positives of a non-human masseuse were immediately clear.

I realized I hadn't taken a shower, but then realized the robot won't care.
There's no awkward chit-chat. You just sign in at the hotel desk and they let you into the spa-like room with the robotic table.

After changing into tights provided by Aescape, the machine scans your body, identifies your muscles and starts to dig in.

A touchscreen near your head lets you control the intensity of the pressure, which sections to skip and a selection of relaxing music.

The verdict: It wasn't bad at all.

You miss out on the psychological benefits of human touch, but you also don't have to get touched by a human.

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We tried the Tom Brady-backed robot masseur — here's the verdict

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