Chinese TCM-trained robot masseuse
According to the team, the robot’s hands have four operation modes, each emulating different TCM massage techniques, such as the concept of zang-fu organs and meridians. To this end, the hands can perform palm punch, vibration, kneading, and finger technique function modules.

Each function requires different hardware tools to perform tasks like turning the hand into a fist or providing directed vibration to an area. Others, like the kneading function, employ a specially designed “kneading motor” that allows the robot to “pinch” the user’s back.

“We adopted a compliance control algorithm based on adaptive admittance control, aiming to optimize force and position control to address challenges such as patient posture changes and muscle stiffness differences, ensuring the safety and comfort of the massage process,” wrote Xu, Huang, and their colleagues.