Your next massage could be powered by artificial intelligence (AI), a sign of how AI technology is overtaking the wellness industry.
With $80 million in funding, Aescape is poised to introduce personalized wellness robotics to the masses, the company said in a Wednesday (March 13) news release. Starting June, 10 Equinox fitness clubs across New York City will feature Aescape’s AI-enhanced massage tables.
It’s one of a growing number of AI-powered wellness services ranging from personalized fitness coaching and nutrition planning to mental health support and stress management.
“AI’s utility in wellness lies in its unparalleled ability to aggregate, process and analyze extensive datasets about individual health and lifestyle, offering personalized insights that were previously unattainable,” Jane Smorodnikova, CEO and co-founder of Welltory, an AI-powered health app, told PYMNTS in an interview. “AI’s analysis of data from wearables, apps and other monitoring devices can predict health outcomes with significant accuracy.”
Aescape’s new AI-powered massage table is designed to offer personalized massage experiences.
The table scans a user’s body, analyzing over 1.1 million points to understand their specific positioning and identify areas in need of attention. The robot masseur features a touchscreen through which individuals can select massage options tailored to their body’s needs. Clients can choose focus areas, pressure intensity and even background music. The table can remember preferences for future sessions, ensuring each massage is customized to meet personal requirements, whether for deep tissue work or quick recovery.
“Aescape aims to make massage an accessible, integral part of rest and recovery, no longer reserved for indulgence or injury,” said Eric Litman, the company’s founder and CEO, in the release.
Aescape isn’t the only company that’s come up with the idea of AI massage bots. Last year, AIBotics introduced Phill, an AI-powered massage robot designed to provide personalized massage experiences at home. With features like a 35-inch range of motion, 15 pounds of force and various attachments, Phill aims to cater to individual preferences and adapt to users’ needs through artificial intelligence. The device’s design allows it to double as a nightstand when not in use.
There’s a lot of room for AI in the wellness industry. The Global Wellness institute valued the industry at $4.5 trillion in 2023, a 6.4% increase from 2019.
Increasingly, more wellness apps and gadgets are offering an AI element, including the Fitbit app, which focuses on physical activity tracking, Calm, which focuses on mental well-being, and MyFitnessPal, which offers insights into nutrition. Welltory consolidates diverse health metrics, providing a holistic view of an individual’s well-being.
Smorodnikova said that Welltory stands out by offering a suite of AI-driven features, such as personalized stress and energy level assessments using heart rate variability (HRV) data and Sleep Flow, which creates AI-generated bedtime stories that sync with the user’s heartbeat, promoting relaxation and improved sleep quality.
AI can do more than simply track health indicators, Roger Berrelleza, the head of operations at Komowa, which develops and sells wellness products, told PYMNTS in an interview.
While older-generation wearables could monitor heart rates and count steps, products now utilizing AI can develop customized fitness routines, meal plans and more. Essentially, it is like having a trainer and nutritionist with you at all times. Komowa also offers the ErgoSportive Smart Bed, which can help track sleep data.
“This is something that would have tremendous implications for those suffering with restless nights and serious conditions like obstructive sleep apnea,” Berrelleza said.
The future of healthcare is set to become more personalized and predictive with the help of AI technology. Digital twins, which are advanced digital copies of a person’s health information, will play a significant role in this change, Smorodnikova predicted.
These digital twins will show how our current lifestyle choices, like not exercising enough, could affect our health in the future. They will also let us test out different health plans virtually before trying them in real life and let us see the long-term effects of our habits and make better decisions for our well-being.
As AI keeps improving, digital twins could become even more helpful. In the future, we could talk with our digital twins and get their advice using generative AI and large language models, Smorodnikova said.
“This could become a powerful form of therapy, allowing individuals to engage with a wiser, more balanced version of themselves and visualize the physical effects of their current health behaviors decades into the future,” she added. “Such visual and interactive insights are poised to be much more impactful than traditional health warnings, potentially revolutionizing how people perceive and act upon health advice.”
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