Massage

A 5,000-year-old therapeutic practice gets an upgrade. Fully automated, heated robotic arms powered by AI ensure that Aescape’s massager provides a personalized, customizable experience that doesn’t require you to be naked and covered in oil.

Hand edema, which is a swelling of the fingers due to the accumulation of fluid, is typically treated via a hand massage performed by a therapist. A new finger-massaging glove, however, may offer a less costly and more accessible alternative.

While massage therapy is certainly helpful for some back problems, it also tends to be expensive. California tech company Flexiv has set out to change that, by getting a back-massaging robot to do the job.

The idea alone of a massage might do wonders for some people’s stress levels, but a new study has delved into the physiological details of how these short and sweet treatments can kick the body’s relaxation systems into gear.

From a grueling leg day at the gym to hours spent sat in an office cubicle, our lower legs can easily sustain damage, leading to aches, pains and more serious issues. New on Kickstarter, Spryng aims to quicken muscle recovery times and improve circulation, all in 15-minute bursts.

Naina Parekh told us that lugging a heavy backpack around the halls at CES prompted her to follow through on an idea that had been running through her mind for months. That idea is the Eume backpack with built-in massager, designed to make your journey a little less of a strain.

French startup Aurasens is taking CES music lovers on a "visceral, trans-sensory journey" in Las Vegas this week as it launches its high-end audio recliner. The hi-fi chair uses haptic touch points to gently massage the listener as music plays through a pair of headphones.

​It was just last year that we first heard about Emma, a robot designed to conduct massage therapy on human patients. At the time, it was undergoing clinical trials. Now, two generations later, Emma 3.0 has entered regular use at a Singapore clinic.

As our population continues to get older, physiotherapists are going to be needed more than ever. It was with this in mind that Emma was created. The one-armed robot is designed to help physiotherapists handle an increasing workload, by conducting massage therapy on their human patients.

The AiraWear packs the power of a massage chair into a hoodie. We at Gizmag got our tired backs on one to see just how well it works.

Aira is a “mobile massage suite” that helps work your tired back muscles while you’re out and about. Perhaps the best part is that no one will even know you’re wearing it because it looks like an average hoodie.

The WheeMe robot delivers a comforting massage on demand.