Robots aren’t exactly rare around UCLA anymore, but I still didn’t expect to find one inside a spa. Between the delivery bots weaving through campus and Waymos circling Westwood, the idea of a robot massage didn’t feel impossible, just unexpected. So when I found out Equinox Westwood had added Aescape, a fully robotic massage experience, I booked a session to see what the future felt like.
Bamboo leaves partially cover the sign at Equinox Westwood. With just an initial scan, the machine at its spa can construct a 3D model of the client's body to tailor the massage to each individual. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
I’d seen people mention it online – “the robot massage thing,” “the table with arms,” “that AI room at Equinox.” The reactions were mixed enough to pique my curiosity. Some people swore it was the future, others said they were scared of letting a machine near their spine. I went into the experience somewhere between the two.
Checking In
You book the session on Aescape’s website, then check in at the main Equinox desk. I told the staff I was there for the Aescape massage, and they handed me the dark grey Aerwear outfit – a fitted long-sleeve top and matching leggings you tuck in so the robot can work on fabric, not skin. They reminded me to put my hair up high so nothing would touch my neck. The session is around $60, with a discount for first-time users, which already makes it cheaper than most massages around Westwood.
A staff member walked me upstairs into the spa and into a room used specifically for Aescape. It looked like a normal massage room, except for the table: a blue surface with two white robotic arms resting above it on either side. They were perfectly still, which made them all the more intimidating.
Getting Set Up
I changed, lay face-down, and the touchscreen – the Aerview console – lit up directly in front of my face. It guides you through adjusting the headrest and leg bolster until everything feels right. With no therapist present, you’re entirely in charge of setting yourself up, which feels odd for a moment and then strangely efficient.
Then the screen said, “Scanning body.”
I’m wearing the dark grey Aerwear outfit, a fitted long-sleeve top with matching leggings tucked in, as I take a mirror selfie inside the Aescape massage room. Behind me, the white robotic arms and the blue Aescape treatment table are visible. Photographed by Ellie Mitola/BruinLife.
Nothing touched me. The arms didn’t move. I was lying there face down, staring at the words “scanning body,” trying to figure out how it was doing anything. It mapped my body shape without ever laying a finger on me. It felt like the kind of suspenseful sci-fi moment that makes you tense up because something dramatic is about to happen, but nothing does.
Once the scan finished, a digital outline of my body appeared, and I chose to focus on my upper back, the place that stores most of my UCLA-related stress, from midterms to enrollment.
The Massage Starts
When the arms finally moved, I braced for it. They didn’t lunge or jolt; it was slow and controlled. The first motion across my back was warm and steady, with pressure that felt surprisingly natural. Not mechanical. Not like a massage chair trying to rearrange you. Just steady and deliberate. You stay face down the entire time as the arms work along both sides of your whole body with very consistent pressure. It’s more like long presses and sweeping motions than tapping or vibrating.
The console shows where the arms are and what’s coming next. You can adjust the pressure instantly. If a motion feels excellent, you favorite it for next time. If it’s not your thing, you skip it. No awkward interactions, no verbal corrections; everything is controlled silently from the screen.
Located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Midvale Avenue, the Spa at Equinox recently partnered with Aescape to bring fully automated massages to Westwood locals and curious visitors alike, no membership required. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
Some parts genuinely impressed me. The consistency alone was something a human physically couldn’t maintain for that long. The synchronized motions on both sides of my back made it feel more efficient than a traditional massage. There were a few moments when I wanted it to dig deeper into specific knots, and it didn’t. A robot can’t improvise or “feel out” tension the way a therapist can, but for an automated treatment, it was far more thoughtful than I expected.
Relaxing Without Talking
One of the best parts was the silence: no small talk. No questions. No pressure to comment or adjust anything out loud. Just warmth, steady pressure and a screen you barely need after the first minute. I didn’t fall asleep due to first-time nerves and a slight fear that the robot would kill me, but I definitely relaxed.
After the Session
When it ended, my body felt looser and lighter, not dramatically transformed, but noticeably better. That small, satisfying shoulder roll tells you something worked. It delivered exactly what it promised: consistency, customization and zero awkwardness.
Aescape isn’t trying to replace a deep, emotional human massage, and it doesn’t. But it’s cheaper, quicker and more predictable. You don’t need an Equinox membership, making it accessible to students who want recovery without committing to a full gym membership. I’d do it again – especially now that the “robot” part doesn’t throw me off.
A massage room inside the Equinox Westwood spa featuring the Aescape massage table. The machine has two white mechanical arms positioned above the table that perform the automated massage. The photo shows the table as it appears when you first walk into the room. Photographed by Ellie Mitola/BruinLife.
So… Is This the Future?
Probably. Right now, it feels new, but in a few years, it’ll likely feel as normal as Spotify recommending our playlists and Gmail finishing half our emails for us. Aescape doesn’t feel like a gimmick – it feels like the start of a new category of recovery that will eventually be standard. And if the future means more affordable massages? I’m all for it.
__
Featured Image Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife
