I Tried an AI-Powered Robot Massage at The Seabird Ocean Resort in Oceanside—Here’s What You Need to Know
The Seabird Ocean Resort in Oceanside, California.
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Are robots the future of massage therapy? Can the human touch be replaced by white-coated, metal paws programmed to hit all the muscle knots? Spa sanctuaries are now incorporating the latest technologies, which doesn’t always involve having a therapist in the room.
Sunny’s Spa & Beauty Lounge at The Seabird Ocean Resort in Oceanside now offers high-edge, cutting-edge wellness as part of their spa experience. They offer the first AI-powered robot massager, Aescape, which provides a unique, customizable massage treatment tailored to each client’s preferences.
Spa Profile: Sunny’s Spa & Beauty Lounge at The Seabird Ocean Resort
Sunny’s also provides the Shiftwave treatment, which is a technology that helps train the nervous system. I tried the robotic massage and the Shiftwave chair treatment. Here’s my firsthand account.
Aescape is the first commercially available, fully automated customizable massage experience.
I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about whether I would like it. It’s safe to say that I count myself as a bit of an expert, having tried hundreds of massages all over the world. I regularly get therapeutic massages to relieve constant low-grade pain.
My neck, shoulder, and back are out of whack due to a car accident when I broke the front windshield with my head. I’ve been to pain clinics, chiropractors, MRIs, and the works. The best thing to keep the pain at bay is a routine therapeutic massage.
Aescape's flagship product—a fully automated, AI-driven massage table—employs advanced AI technology for a precise and personalized experience.
Robotic massagers can be an ideal solution when you don’t want to risk a bad massage experience. You know what you’re going to get with the programmed robot arms.
Sessions can range from 15 minutes to one hour. The massages can be customized for targeted muscle relief, broad bodywork massage or solo relaxation downtime with my robot and me.
By scanning the user's body and generating over 1.1 million 3D data points, it accurately maps the body's position on the table and identifies key anatomical points for targeted massage.
To prevent any chafing from the robotic arms, I changed into Aerware clothing, which feels like tight Lycra leggings and a high-collared short-sleeve shirt. It was like wearing a scuba diving wetsuit! Hair has to be pulled into a high bun so strands are kept off the neck. No rings, necklaces, or watches should be worn.
I lay face down on a comfortable massage table, between two robotic arms overhead. It felt like I was on a medical table, but I knew I was about to get a calming, relaxing procedure.
Below my face was a touchpad, allowing me to select settings for pressure intensity and focus areas. I could even change the music from ambient nature or water sounds to piano music.
Aescape remembers individual body characteristics and personal preferences to deliver customized massage experiences, from deep tissue to quick recovery, meeting the specific needs and preferences of each user.
The session began by working on different areas that you can set for yourself. The robot arms moved smoothly up and down and even alternated the right and left robot arm, going up and down, like a real masseuse.
I loved being in the room by myself, not worrying if I was going to have to chit-chat with my robot. Some people might want to, as AI companion chatbots are becoming popular. I enjoyed my solo reflective space in the room; it was like a meditative massage experience.
I found the experience relaxing as I lay comfortably on the table. Being able to adjust the settings myself without feeling like I was nagging the therapist was a big plus.
Users access a touchscreen interface to choose from a variety of treatments tailored to their unique body profile, providing control over target areas, pressure points, and music selection.
After my 30-minute session was up, I was ready to go. Sure, there are a few limitations, but nothing that a few programming codes couldn’t fix. (I’m a former engineer, so these kinds of thoughts float into my head.)
Massages are face-down, so there’s no flipping over. The robot arms work in sync, so you can’t adjust the left arm to work at a different intensity than the right arm.
When the robot arms travel down my back, it’s not possible to change the setting, so the arms work harder on my scapula than my glutes, which is what my regular masseuse knows to do.
Feeling relaxed and ready to go after my robotic massage!
The oceanfront spa also offers Shiftwave treatments as a way to adjust neural pathways to reach optimal relaxation. The technology is based on pulsed pressure wave technology, which uses sound vibrations and breathwork to train the nervous system for self-regulation.
To begin, I sat on a black, webbed lounge chair that could be tilted back in a relaxed position, like I was at a pool. A monitor was placed on my finger to monitor my pulse. The therapist handed me an eye mask and headphones with a weighted blanket to keep me warm.
What seemed like techno music began playing in my ears. A calming voice guided my body scan to detect tension for release. It also led me in breathwork exercises.
I also experienced a Shiftwave treatment, which is designed to adjust neural pathways in order to reach optimal relaxation.
While the first half of the 25-minute session seemed like I was at an electronic dance music club, the second half only played rhythmic techno music through my headphones, which surprisingly relaxed me into a disco nap.
Overall, AI-powered robotic massagers like Aescape and Shiftwave nervous system regulation technologies, are here to stay. The wellness space will continue to incorporate more technology from other sectors, such as the medical or manufacturing field, into their treatments.
The technology is based on pulsed pressure wave technology, which uses sound vibrations and breathwork to train the nervous system for self-regulation.
Cost: Aescape ($55/15 min; $220/60 min) Shiftwave ($65/25 min; $125/50 min)
Insider Tips: The hotel offers complimentary valet parking. The Shiftwave treatment can also be done in guest rooms since the equipment is portable. The Seabird sits right on the ocean with lovely relaxing views. Also on the same floor as Sunny’s Spa is a large library lounge for journaling (and working).
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Address: 101 Mission Avenue, Oceanside Beach, Oceanside, CA 92054
Phone: (866) 837-1762
For more information about Sunny’s Spa at The Seabird Ocean Resort, visit their website. Follow on Instagram: @theseabird
Helen I. Hwang is an award-winning journalist, author, and mechanical engineer. Her works have appeared in The New York Times for Kids, Eater San Diego, People Magazine, Parents.com, Trip Advisor, Huffington Post, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine,TravelSavvy.com, and other publications. She has also written a book, titled All Grown Up: Please Touch Museum and Its Move to Memorial Hall, for the Please Touch Museum, a children's museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition, Helen worked as a researcher for the Peabody Award-winning NPR radio program, Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Over the years, she's lived on three continents and traveled to more than 40 countries. She currently lives in San Diego, CA, the 16th place she's called home. More about her can be found at helenihwang.com.