January 30, 2008 Japanese company INADA has introduced Sogno - a full-body massage chair that uses infra-red scanning to identify shiatsu acupressure points on your body and then provides a massage which feels like you’re being pummeled and manipulated by a real masseuse.
Using advanced robotics, Sogno delivers a variation of massage techniques, including tapping and kneading and some interesting features such as full shoulder/neck air massage with neck traction capabilities. There is also a shoulder to fingertip arm massage or an arching full body stretch and the Sogno recognizes shiatsu point locations for over 100 body types, so it should be suitable for most people.
INADA has been manufacturing automatic massage chairs since 1962 and state that they have the best-selling luxury shiatsu massage chairs in Japan ( a market where an incredible 22% of households are said to own a robotic massage chair).
INADA are displaying the Sogno at the Los Vegas Winter Furniture Market, which runs until February 1, 2008.