Robots learn the art of traditional massage

On Sept 20, a massage robot made its public debut in Huizhou, Guangdong province, offering a glimpse of how artificial intelligence and robotics are being applied to traditional Chinese medicine.

At the launch event, a visitor first underwent a digital assessment. The system captured images of his face and tongue, combined the data with information gathered through a health consultation, and generated a personalized massage plan. Once the service order was sent to the robot, the user scanned a QR code on the machine, prompting its robotic arm to move into position and begin the treatment.

Users can also adjust the treatment during the session. A stop button immediately halts the machine, while voice commands can be used to adjust aspects such as pressure.

"Users can choose a treatment themselves or let the system make a recommendation," says Ye Shaoxin, an AI engineer with Hondak Robotics, the company behind the robot.

The system analyzes facial and tongue images, together with health information gathered through interaction, to recommend treatment areas and acupoints. These recommendations are then incorporated into the robot's massage program, Ye explains.

For Hondak Robotics chairman He Yuhong, the challenge was not simply making a robot move, but enabling it to replicate techniques closer to those used by human practitioners.

"Traditional massage and physiotherapy have long depended on practitioners' hands, experience and sense of force," He says.

The robot uses three-dimensional vision and force-sensing technology to identify body contours and adjust the treatment head's angle and pressure. It can perform movements including pressing, rubbing and kneading, while automatically switching between treatment heads for functions such as microelectric heating massage, negative-pressure cupping and shockwave massage.

The launch reflects a wider effort to bring digital technologies into TCM. In Beijing, companies including Daan Health Technology and Beijing Zhuangzhi Medical Equipment have been applying AI to standardized tongue and facial image collection, constitution assessment and meridian-related measurements.

Experts say such technologies can provide practitioners with more objective information, although some aspects still require further development.

"From the perspective of precision, intelligence and repeatability, it definitely has advantages over traditional manual therapy," says Li Kui, chief technician of the rehabilitation medicine department at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. "But there is still a long way to go."