Massage Robot Debuts in Huizhou, Combining AI Face and Tongue Analysis with Robotic Therapy

On September 20, a massage robot made its first public appearance in Huizhou, Guangdong, demonstrating how artificial intelligence and robotics can be 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 and combined them with information gathered during a health consultation to generate a personalized massage plan. The demonstration was designed to show how AI can inform a treatment that is usually based on conversation and manual examination.

After the service order was sent to the robot, the user scanned a QR code on the machine. The robotic arm moved into position and began treatment. Users can adjust the session while it is underway; a stop button pauses the machine immediately, and voice commands can be used to change parameters such as pressure. The process is designed to let users remain in control of the treatment experience.

Ye Shaoxin, an AI engineer at Hande Robot, said users can either choose a treatment item or let the system recommend one. The system analyzes facial and tongue images and combines them with health information collected through interaction to recommend treatment areas and acupoints. Those recommendations are then incorporated into the robot's massage program. Ye said the recommendations are not meant to replace professional judgment but to support the treatment process.

He Yuhong, chairman of Hande Robot, said the challenge is not simply making the robot move, but enabling it to reproduce techniques closer to those used by human practitioners. Traditional massage and physiotherapy have long relied on the practitioner's hands, experience and sense of force. The robot uses 3D vision and force-sensing technology to identify body contours and adjust the angle and pressure of the treatment head in real time.

It can perform pressing, kneading and pinching movements while automatically switching treatment heads to enable functions such as micro-electric heat massage, negative-pressure cupping and shockwave massage. These functions are intended to mimic a range of manual techniques.

The launch also reflects broader efforts to bring digital technology into traditional Chinese medicine. In Beijing, companies such as Da'an 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, but some aspects still need further development.

Li Kui, a chief technician in the rehabilitation medicine department at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, said that in terms of precision, intelligence and repeatability, the approach is certainly superior to traditional manual treatment, but there is still a long way to go.

The massage robot addresses a standardization problem in TCM physiotherapy. The effect of traditional massage depends heavily on the technician's experience and technique; differences between technicians are large, and the same technician's condition can fluctuate at different times. If a robot can control force, angle and rhythm at a stable level, customers may receive a more consistent experience.

However, TCM massage includes many steps that rely on tactile judgment and immediate adjustment. For a robot to fully reproduce those capabilities will take time.