I Tried Colorado’s First Robot Massage—and You Should, Too. - 5280 | The Denver Magazine

[Jessica Giles]

Massages are an inherently intimate experience. First, you have to figure out what “undressing to your comfort level” means, then you have to make small talk while the masseuse lathers you up like a pork shank being prepped for the grill, and when their elbow is so deep in your lower back you think they might pop your kidney, you have to muster up the courage to utter, “A little lighter, please.”

But what if you could reap the relaxing benefits of massage without all the awkwardness? Enter Aescape, a massage robot powered by artificial intelligence. Founded in 2017, Aescape delivers personalized massages using two robotic arms that replicate the touch of a human. These machines are being introduced in upscale wellness spaces around the country, but the one at Sway, a brand-new spa that opened in Larimer Square on February 25, is the first of its kind in the Centennial State. “I was really passionate about having tech infused in the experience,” says Emily Langenderfer, Sway’s co-founder.

So, I decided to take the bot for a spin to see how it stood up to a conventional massage—and the results were disturbingly delightful.

How Aescape Works​

Right away, Aescape—which looks like a normal massage table except for the two massive, white robotic arms emerging from the sides—eliminates what is often the first pain point for people when it comes to massages: getting naked. Do I leave my underwear on? Was I supposed to shave my legs for this? The good news is, all these concerns are moot when your masseur is a machine. When you arrive for your Aescape experience, the Sway staff will give you Aerwear, which consists of a compression long-sleeve top and leggings made of slick fabric the machine can easily glide over. (Tip: Size down. You want the set to feel like a second skin.)

Aescape’s compression Aerwear, which you’ll wear during your massage. Photo courtesy of Aescape

Once you’re dressed, you’ll retreat behind the curtain into your dimly lit massage room. You’ll lie face-down on a plush, memory-foam mattress with your legs propped up on the bolster and your arms on the circular rest just below your head. You’ll notice a screen below the headrest, but it’s not for cueing up your favorite Netflix show. Everything about Aescape is customizable—from the positions of the bolster, face cradle, and armrest to the massage itself. The screen, also known as Aerview, is your control panel for the experience, as well as a visual guide to what your C-3PO is doing overhead.

To start, the machine will take a full body scan to map out your muscle structure. It collects over 1.2 million data points, all of which help the system personalize your massage, in roughly 10 seconds. After the scan is complete, it’s time for tranquility—but the cyborg won’t take you by surprise. The Aerview will show you what the machine is doing in real time, what’s up next, and even allow you to skip certain sections. If the automaton is hitting all the right spots, you can “like” the segment, which is saved to your profile and helps the AI model remember your preferences for future self-care sessions. But if you’d rather leave the logistics to your droid, you can toggle over to the “immerse” display and choose from a range of calming landscape scenes.

The most-used function, says Garrett Gronowski, a partnerships manager for Aescape, is easily the pressure adjuster. While the machine is manipulating your muscles, you can control the amount of pressure it uses by tapping or sliding the scale in the top righthand corner. And if you ever start to feel uncomfortable or need to stop for a bathroom break, you can tap the pause button to temporarily suspend the treatment. The machine also has an emergency stop button in case you’d like to end the massage entirely.

At Sway, you can choose between 15, 30, 45, and 60-minute sessions, depending on what areas you’d like to target. The machine is preloaded with an array of massages ranging from express leg and back day recovery to hourlong treatments that touch on a little bit of everything. Right now, Aescape is only equipped to offer back, glute, and hamstring massages, but Gronowski says that calf sessions are in the works.

So, How Was It?​

Considering I worked up a sweat squeezing myself into the Aerwear set, my muscles were already warm and primed for pampering. Gronowski helped me adjust the bed’s settings for optimum comfort and then left me in the capable (and kind of creepy) hands of the Aescape for a 15-minute demo.

When the machine made contact, I expected a strange crossover between a Theragun and a mall massage chair. Instead, the robot’s hands—referred to as Aerpoints—were surprisingly humanlike. That’s because they’re heated to 95 degrees and designed to replicate the seven touch techniques used by traditional massage therapists: thumb, knuckle, forearm, elbow, cupped hand, and the blade of the hand.

A full view of Aescape. Photo courtesy of Aescape

The first few minutes were spent warming up my body with sweeping circles and strokes across my entire back. But as the machine glided its way from my lower to upper back, it tried to take my top off with it. Lesson one: Don’t forget to tuck your shirt into your leggings, otherwise your robot sesh might get a little raunchy. This did let me unintentionally test out Aescape’s safety features. When I reached back to readjust my top, the automaton stopped itself and informed me that I was “out of place.”

Once I was repositioned, the massage resumed and transitioned into the next segment—upper back work—where I decided to test out more pressure. Four days on the slopes the previous week had left my right trapezius tight and agitated, so I maxed out the pressure on that side for a deep-tissue massage, a feature Gronowski said the machine was particularly skilled at—and something I likely wouldn’t ask for in a traditional setting. (As a nonconfrontational introvert, I don’t like to speak up when I want something done differently—even if it means eating the wrong order at a restaurant with a smile on my face.) But, since I can’t offend an insentient being, I had no problem demanding exactly what I wanted, from choosing a serene rainforest as my display to selecting my music channel of choice (although there’s no Taylor Swift radio, regrettably).

The Aerpoints applied intense pressure for the upper back section, which resulted in instant relief in my right trapezius. And when the arms moved to my lower back, I had no hesitations about toggling the pressure down. I didn’t even feel an ounce of embarrassment when it was time for Wall-E to work on my glutes.

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about this experience though was that, if I closed my eyes, I don’t think I could tell the difference between the machine and a human masseuse. Aescape’s touch is varied, the movements are smooth, and the equipment is silent. Although you can’t communicate with the robot about spending more time on a specific area or any quirks that are personal to your body, the experience is remarkably similar to a basic Swedish massage you’d receive at a typical spa. But because you can’t convey any specific injuries or medical conditions to the machine, Aescape isn’t suitable for people who are pregnant or who have preexisting conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, or a history of blood clots.

How Much Does it Cost and What Else Does Sway Offer?​

Sway’s flagship location in Larimer Square. Photo courtesy of Sway Wellness Spa

A 15-minute drop-in Aescape massage at Sway costs $49, and tipping isn’t required (because the bot doesn’t have a family it needs to support). The wellness spa also offers more traditional treatments (from real humans) including facials ($139 for drop-ins); a remedy room ($49 for a 50-minute drop-in) featuring a sauna, cold plunge, LED light therapy, and Normatec boots; and, of course, human massages ($139 for drop-ins). If you want to commit to a consistent self-care practice, consider enrolling in one of Sway’s memberships, which unlocks access to preferred pricing ($99) on all treatments, discounts on upgrades, 10 percent off in the Sway shop, and a member lounge while you wait.

The Final Verdict on Aescape​

If robots really do wind up taking over the world one day, I hope my overlord is the Aescape. Kidding! There was something a little unsettling about lying face-down and semi-defenseless while the droid worked its magic, but I found solace in the machine’s responsive safety features. In fact, after about two minutes, not a single scene from The Terminator 2 flashed through my mind.

Once I made peace with the strangeness, I found the Aescape to be an affordable, effective, and downright enjoyable alternative to a traditional human massage. No, it won’t place hot stones on your back or compliment your muscular shoulders, but Sway’s new service can make incorporating massage into your monthly self-care routine more manageable. You’ll certainly spot me there again.

Sway Wellness spa is located at 1428 Larimer St. You can book treatments and purchase memberships on the website.