Dennis Ledenkof is the CEO and founding father of roboSculptor the roboSculptor, an autonomous platform for physique remedies developed by well being business consultants and powered by AI. It ideally suits the longevity idea and delivers exact, protected, and comfy touchless wellness remedies.
Are you able to share the journey that led you to create roboSculptor?
I got here up with the thought to construct a robotic physique remedy system in 2019 throughout my journey to the US. I used to be in search of a distributor for an aesthetics system. Whereas the potential accomplice favored the outcomes, the process was too time-consuming and required extremely expert labor, making the unit economics unclear. The process took an hour and was bodily demanding, with such specialists being onerous to search out. Throughout that journey, I didn’t get a distributor, however I acquired precious recommendation. To invent one thing that doesn’t require human energy.
It took my staff 9 months to make a demo that showcased the idea of a robotic therapeutic massage. At first, we wished to develop a product that merely mixed the traditional form of a physique contouring system with a cobot. You understand, simply on high of it. It appeared like an easy-to-implement concept.
1st iteration of including a robotic to a standard aesthetic system. Scheme.
Nevertheless, as we delved deeper into the venture, we realized our preliminary imaginative and prescient did not align with the intricate calls for of the system we had been constructing. We underestimated the complexity of the enterprise.
The following iteration of the system acquired a tunnel-like form.
Early model of roboSculptor – portal-like form.
It has been exhibited in some commerce exhibits as an idea. The suggestions was that the machine appeared fairly huge and, to some, even intimidating. Throughout extra robotic motion checks, our engineers discovered that the system wasn’t inflexible sufficient to carry out therapeutic massage actions at increased speeds. After accumulating all this info the engineers began to work on a brand new construction. It was a difficult activity to construct it. Nonetheless, it resulted in a unique, extra open and pleasant design.
The precise roboSculptor design.
How has your expertise with earlier ventures influenced the event of roboSculptor?
Working within the aesthetics marketplace for over a decade provides you a strong understanding of the place tendencies are inclined to shift, you begin to study extra in regards to the corporations and what merchandise they construct. However most significantly, you study to see the gaps between what the market wants and what different gamers do.
With expertise in implementing physique contouring units, our firm got down to develop a robotic system able to delivering a full-body therapeutic therapeutic massage primarily based on lymphatic drainage. The Vibrocompression by spheres technique goes past mere rest—it is a scientifically confirmed approach for decreasing physique quantity and enhancing pores and skin oxygenation, achieved solely via mechanical utility. No laser or electromagnetic emission. Fairly pure and wholesome though very environment friendly remedy. All we do is simply mix a long time of expertise and analysis with presently accessible tech and robotic devices.
How does roboSculptor make the most of AI and robotics to personalize therapeutic massage strategies?
Our engineers found that constructing a robotic machine for physique remedy requires a system able to translating the place of a bodily physique into indicators the machine can perceive. Merely put, we would have liked to create a digital map of the human physique to information a robotic manipulator. It is a important problem, however a good greater one is the necessity to continuously observe the affected person’s place—referred to as dynamic pose detection—as a result of people can transfer unexpectedly. And most of the people would not desire a therapeutic massage in a spot the place their leg was only a few seconds in the past.
To unravel this, we developed a system utilizing 4 lidars that create a degree cloud, which is mixed with a 3D mannequin of the human physique and continuously up to date. This map then guides the robotic over the physique’s floor. Constructing this map appropriately requires analyzing a big quantity of knowledge. To precisely detect the pose, we have now created an AI/ML mannequin that optimizes pose detection. Our system can now map the physique at a velocity of 5-10 frames per second and supply the robotic with correct instructions to execute therapeutic massage protocols.
How does roboSculptor incorporate suggestions from customers and therapists to refine its algorithms?
In relation to therapeutic massage remedy, there has all the time been a sure degree of subjectivity round what’s efficient. As an illustration, what strain degree is required to carry out an environment friendly process? A robotic therapeutic massage system provides us a exact instrument for measuring strain in grams and controlling device motion velocity. We’ve designed the system in a means that the manipulator’s actions are recorded with all exact dynamics and strain ranges. The motion historical past maylater be replayed and analyzed by algorithms. By evaluating affected person preferences with particular elements of the motion historical past, we will pinpoint the best strategies for every particular person, just like how a preferred video platform makes use of likes to find out viewer preferences. Gathering extra knowledge on the effectiveness of remedies will finally enhance the standard of care primarily based on huge knowledge evaluation.
May you clarify the position of the 3D digital camera system in enhancing the effectiveness of the remedies?
A robotic is an automatic system that will work together with actual objects primarily based on the duty it’s preprogrammed for. Merely put, it’s a machine that may see, make choices and act in accordance with its assigned duties. One of the crucial efficient methods to detect a human physique’s place is through the use of Lidars—3D depth sensors, also known as ‘3D cameras.’ They help create a detailed 3D map of the patient’s physique. You possibly can consider therapeutic massage traces as tracks which might be mapped onto the affected person’s physique. Lidars generate a degree cloud, which is then used to construct this exact map.
Dennis, the founding father of roboSculptor, envisioned by 3D scanners as a degree cloud.
Are you able to clarify how the system adapts a therapeutic massage session primarily based on the consumer’s biometric suggestions?
Throughout the process, sufferers also can modify the strain degree. The system is paired with an app that lets customers outline ‘no-go zones’—sensitive areas the machine should avoid during treatment.”
It’s probably not biometric suggestions that we implement within the present model, though we have now evaluated completely different evaluation techniques like measuring BMI, pores and skin high quality, and so forth. Whereas these might make the system extra customized, they’d additionally complicate its operation. At later levels, we’ll get again to those subjects. The present model of roboSculptor permits patiens to decide on numerous remedy packages relying on their targets, with the selection performing as a setting. Throughout the process, sufferers also can modify the strain degree. The system is paired with an app that lets customers outline ‘no-go zones’—sensitive areas the machine should avoid during treatment.
illustration of no-go zones on a female 3-d model. roboSclulptor.
What significant challenges did you face while developing roboSculptor, and how did you overcome them?
First comes the security. Fortunately for clients, you can’t simply put a product or a expertise available on the market with out passing all the required checks. However passing them takes time for enterprise, typically greater than anticipated. Furthermore, the complicated interaction between innovation and regulation can sluggish the adoption of disruptive applied sciences, resulting in a paradoxical state of affairs the place cutting-edge options face resistance from conventional frameworks.
Financial uncertainty provides one other layer of complexity. Fluctuations in market demand, regulatory adjustments, and sudden geopolitical occasions can all throw a wrench. For starters, they could have an effect on the feasibility and profitability of startups and repel potential buyers with the funds to assist product improvement. And elevating funding for robotics is tough sufficient now as it’s. Traditionally, buyers hesitate to again robotics ventures as a result of excessive value of analysis, improvement, prototyping, manufacturing, and longer improvement cycles in comparison with software-based ventures. We are able to see this from corporations like ARTAS, the developer of a robotic for hair transplantation, which nonetheless hasn’t turned a revenue.
Furthermore, some options are onerous to duplicate shortly because of their excessive prices. Subsequently, corporations could not develop on the tempo that you’d count on. And it might take years for buyers to exit and get returns from their investments.
What machine studying strategies are used to boost the therapeutic outcomes of roboSculptor regularly?
Physique detection includes processing a considerable amount of knowledge. To optimize the tactic of pose detection in real-time, we use a neural community. By machine studying, we’ve developed a mannequin that repeatedly displays sufferers’ physique positions in actual time. This knowledge is used to replace a physique map that assists a robotic in delivering a custom-made therapeutic massage. This enables the robotic to adapt to any posture adjustments and supply exact device positioning and efficient remedy.
How do you see the position of AI and robotics evolving within the healthcare and wellness sectors over the subsequent decade?
In accordance with knowledge from the Worldwide Spa Affiliation (iSpa), there was a scarcity of 29,000 therapeutic massage therapists within the US in 2022. And the deficit remains to be current. Robotic options can shut this hole. One other profit is that they’ll present massages to those that can’t resort to conventional masseuses for various causes (from being uncomfortable with human contact to cultural nuances).
As well as, robotic and AI-based options can considerably enhance the income of SPA suppliers. For starters, robots can work extra effectively than people, performing duties quicker and extra exactly. Our analysis exhibits that they’ll carry out double the procedures of a human therapist, producing as much as 2.4 instances extra income for wellness services. Furthermore, operational prices might drop by as much as 40%, with returns on funding hitting 54% per system yearly.
Moreover, integrating robots and AI in healthcare can automate routine duties, permitting healthcare professionals to focus extra on direct affected person care and complicated decision-making. These applied sciences also can cut back errors, enhance effectivity, and enhance affected person service.
How do you envision roboSculptor reworking the wellness business?
One of many issues in resorts’ SPA/wellness facilities is the shortage of expert therapists. Throughout the pandemic, some therapists who misplaced their jobs at the moment simply modified professions. The others don’t wish to work full-time and like extra life of their work-life stability than earlier than. The opposite one is that therapist’s schedules are decided by labor legal guidelines and their bodily talents. Within the period of repeatedly rising consumption, the demand must be lined. And the labor market doesn’t have sufficient specialists to supply.
As cited in ISPA 2023 analysis paper ‘Staff shortages were most often cited as the primary reason given by spas reporting a decrease in their weekly hours of operation and also those saying they had decreased the number of service provider shifts per day.
Limited SPA zones working hours decrease the return on investment of SPA and wellness centres. In the nearest healthcare industry, it’s physiotherapists’ wants are removed from absolutely lined by specialists accessible.
Labor is without doubt one of the limitations in lots of industries and economics typically. I consider that implementing automation won’t solely ship remedies at extra versatile and handy instances for shoppers but additionally considerably impression the wellness business. By including robotics, we will broaden accessibility to important providers and guarantee constant high quality for a a lot bigger variety of individuals worldwi
Thanks for the nice interview, readers who want to study extra ought to go to roboSculptor.
