Flexiv Shares Details of Its Robotic Masseur System

It seems like robots are entering new industries every day. Flexiv recently took the wraps off its robotic masseur system, which the Shanghai-based company said is designed to be used in clinics and spas.

The system uses the company's Rizon 4 robot arm and takes advantage of artificial intelligence, computer vision, and force feedback to operate.

The company said the robot can target specific areas on a human's back and features a soft silicone massage end-of-arm tool (EOAT). The robot has a force sensitivity of .03 newtons, according to Flexiv.

"By making the robot able to sense its environment via touch and sight, Flexiv's massage application is not only absolutely safe, but it can provide customized massages to people of all shapes and sizes on an automatic basis," the company said.

Robots increase access to customer services

Yunfan Gao, Flexiv's marketing director, said the company hopes the robot can be used to cut down the costs of massages.

"I hope that one day our robotic masseur will be on hand in every clinic, spa, gym, and health club to provide a viable alternative to traditional massages," he said in a statement. "We aim to make robotic massage mainstream and, in the process, reduce its cost while increasing its availability. People think nothing of buying food or drink from a vending machine, and we hope they will think the same way about purchasing a robotic massage."

The company also recently announced that it has partnered with Doco Engineering, a San Jose, Calif.-based systems integrator.

“We are thrilled to have joined forces with DOCO Engineering. Their CEO, Doug Pientak, has over 25 years of engineering experience, and his industry knowledge is second to none,Howard Huang, Flexiv’s business director for North America, said in a statement. “The demand for our adaptive robots means that we are constantly looking for integrators who would be a good fit for Flexiv, and this latest partnership will provide our customers with greater levels of service and support."