Robot Masseuse

I recently had the opportunity to be massaged by a robot. And it was amazing.

To be honest, it has been years since I have had a proper massage (I’ve tried to convince my kids to massage me, but their attention span is short and their hands are pretty small). But this back massage felt about as good as I remember it. Sure, there was some slight mechanical whirring that served as a faint reminder that these were no human hands, but that was less distracting than the voice (or breath!) of a human masseuse.

The “robot” masseuse was actually more like a large massage table with its own set of robotic arms. The sensations were very similar to a real live deep tissue massage, without the awkward small talk and weirdly intimate personal exchange that comes along with a human massage. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I know there are nay sayers out there who believe nothing can replace their favorite masseuse. And if you have your own favorite masseuse, perhaps this is not for you. But think about this: the labor shortage has impacted the massage industry much like many other industries. A good masseuse can only deliver so many massages in a day - it is labor intensive and tiring. Robotics can help close some of the gaps in access, much like DTx products can help close some of the gaps in mental health access.

The experience left me wondering, what (or who) else can we replace with a robot? Perhaps a dental hygienist? What do you think?