I tried Miami's new massage robot. Is it worth the hype?
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I was among the first Miamians to try the new Aescape massage robots last week – and my test run got off to a rocky start.
- My session at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel was delayed by over 30 minutes when the touchscreen on the machine froze just as I laid down to begin the massage.
Why it matters: This glitch – described by the company as unusual – highlights the challenges Aescape might face as it expands to hotel spas, gyms and offices across the country.
How it worked: I put on my skin-tight, high-compression suit (required attire to avoid robot rug burn) and laid down on the massage table to adjust my preferences.
- I usually go for a deep tissue massage, but I was a little apprehensive about turning my back to a robot. So I went with medium pressure.
- I turned on some "beach house" music and watched on the screen as the robot worked on my upper, middle and lower back, and my glutes and thighs.
Zone out: The immersive mode helped me escape into different relaxing landscapes, like a snow-capped mountain or a rainstorm.
- When my eyes got tired, I switched to a black screen.
My review: The massage itself was excellent. The robot hit all my usual knots with no pain at all.
Yes, but: If I had been a paying customer with a busy day, that 30-minute delay would have annoyed me. (A New York Times reporter wrote that her machine froze during a demo in August)
- The machine's whirring was also slightly audible over the music, so I docked some serenity points there.
The other side: Aescape founder and CEO Eric Litman told me the technical difficulties I experienced are "not very common," though he said the company schedules gaps between customers to avoid disruptions.
- If I had been a paying customer, Litman said, I would have been given a free massage. He says the New York Times tried the machine during beta testing so the glitch was expected.
The big picture: Litman touted a customer satisfaction rate of over 90% and stressed the company's commitment to safety.
- The software is updated every two weeks, he said.
- "This is new technology. It is remarkably complex."
As for robot jitters, Litman said some customers get nervous their first time but that all goes away once you receive your massage.
- "It instantly feels very familiar," he said. "Yes it's different because you've never had it done through technology before, but the motions feel very fluid. It all tends to melt away."