Robot Massage Company escapePromising the “world’s most advanced massage,” the company wants to be the Uber for back massages: easy to book and affordable.
A new offering at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel spa, the 30-minute, fully robotic massage will be available at multiple Equinox locations in Manhattan by the end of August.
And unlike Palace’s luxury massages, which cost $260 for 60 minutes, Escape’s massages start at $60 for 30 minutes, which the company claims are equivalent to an hour’s massage, thanks to the two robotic arms that apply firm pressure throughout.
But founder and CEO Eric Littman, who has been developing the technology for more than seven years, told The Washington Post that the company isn’t trying to compete with traditional massage or eliminate human jobs.
According to data from the International Spa Association (iSpa), there is a shortage of 29,000 massage therapists in the U.S. Litman believes there is room in the $5.6 trillion wellness industry for automated services that can serve people who don’t have the time or money for a traditional massage.
“This isn’t designed to be the same experience you’d have at a spa,” Litman told the Post. “We see this as a tool for therapists as well. It’s something they can do in between sessions, and it’s an opportunity for them to develop a deeper relationship with their client.”
And now for the most important question: what does a robotic massage actually feel like?
After booking a massage through the company’s app, customers are first given the opportunity to change into the provided “airwear,” a slim-fitting top and leggings set that prevents chafing.
As you lie face down on the massage table, sensors scan your body and create a custom plan.
“These sensors create a 3D model of your body, truly personalizing the massage, and then between each visit, it remembers you and gets to know what you like,” Litman explained.
During the massage, you can adjust your comfort level via a touchscreen under the head cradle: “You can change the pressure, you can change the music, you can change which parts of your body are worked on.” [the robot] “It’s working,” Litman added.
The robotic sphere, made of a mixture of hard and soft foam and more similar to the palm of a hand than to human fingers, exerts strong, adjustable pressure to effectively stretch the back and legs.
While I miss the precision of having human fingers digging into my stiff back, the convenience and reliability of the Aescape are a big plus.
Littman, who founded several media and technology companies before Aescape, started the brand after experiencing pain that could only be relieved by daily massages, which over time became more expensive and difficult to schedule.
Aescape owns these machines and plans to license them to spas, gyms and, in the future, sports arenas, private homes and offices for $250 a day.
“We were definitely a little ahead of our time, even though we were trying to raise money and recruit people in the early days, and it felt that way,” Litman told The Post from Flatiron headquarters. “This is the first real example of a robot autonomously interacting with a human body.”
But, he added, “It does take a little bit of investment — learning a little bit, evolving, exhibiting and engaging people in the community who might be interested in this sort of thing.”
And New York City is the perfect place to make that happen, Litman said.
This story is part of “NYNext,” a new editorial series showcasing innovations and those leading the way across industries in New York City.
“We have incredible talent in the health and wellness space here. We also have people who understand the capital markets and know how to raise capital. As this has become a startup hub, we’ve seen some really great tech talent grow over time.”
