They say necessity is the mother of invention. In 2017, Downtown NYC entrepreneur Eric Litman, founder and CEO of Aescape, was struggling with a “painful bulging disk” that despite numerous attempts with traditional massage therapy, would not let up. He took matters into his own hands. Well, robotic hands, where now an individual can conveniently schedule a massage on an app, and control the intensity and focus of their own massage treatment, even the choice of music or sounds to enhance the experience.
AESCAPE is the culmination of seven years of work to develop a touchless massage experience incorporating AI protocols, that is launching August at 10 NYC Equinox locations. It has already been introduced at ila Only Spa at Lotte New York Palace.
WHAT IS IT
The user slips into a compression suit and lies on the table, answering a few questions on a touchscreen. 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, identifying key points for massage, including upper back, lower back, and glutes. The massage is available in 30 minute, 60 minute, and 90 minute time frames.
THE TEAM
To develop his prototype, Litman put together a power team group of roboticists, brand builders, hardware and software engineers, including Sam Bowen (hardware at Amazon), Becca Valle (global marketing at Meta, Airbnb and New York Knicks), and Alex Linde (product at Uber, eBay and Yahoo!) among others. “Great projects attract great people, and we had a big vision, with real benefits to humankind,” says Litman.
THE BENEFITS
Photos courtesy of Aescape.
“You are in control,” Litman stresses. “You can stop; have more of this, less of that, while keeping your arms on the system.” With the compression suit, comfort of modesty is a plus. Also, you don’t need to speak with a masseuse, but moreover, “You don’t have to have lotion or oil on your body, no shower; that was a chief complaint of our testers,” Litman emphasizes. Users can swiftly schedule a massage on an app, and then be on the go. Another big plus, “We offer massage with equal force to both sides of your body,” says Litman, so the body is getting completely worked on throughout the treatment.
Self-care, as well as wellness travel, are on the rise; the global wellness tourism market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2027. “The Lotte New York Palace is iconic, classic New York,” says Litman. Their ila Only Spa is meeting travelers where they are, ushering in the future of on-demand, tech-enhanced wellness experiences.
For those that wish to book a treatment at Equinox, “you do not need a membership to book an appointment,” says Litman. “Aescape aims to makes massage an accessible, integral part of rest and recovery, no longer reserved for indulgence or injury.”
For more information and to book a treatment, visit aescape.com @letsaescape