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#31 Would you like to have a massage?
From robot swarms to AI-powered massages, automation is taking over. Dive into the latest breakthroughs shaping the future of work, tech, and relaxation
Jacek Smoluch
March 10, 2025
Another week and another feeling that technology is taking our jobs? No worries, you are in a good place to be ready for that and be in the first row of this show.
In today’s episode:
TL;DR
UBTECH’s humanoid robots use swarm intelligence to automate factory tasks.
Aescape’s AI-driven massage bots personalize treatments using advanced data analysis.
Nomagic’s AI-powered robots streamline warehouse operations with smarter automation.
The Rise of the Robot Swarm: UBTECH’s Humanoids Are Taking Over the Factory Floor
Move over, single robots, UBTECH just introduced the Avengers of automation at ZEEKR’s 5G Intelligent Factory. These humanoid bots aren’t just lifting boxes and assembling parts; they’re working together like a well-oiled, AI-powered pit crew.
What’s the big deal?
UBTECH has cracked the code on Swarm Intelligence, meaning their Walker S1 robots can now collaborate on complex industrial tasks without bumping into each other like lost Roombas. This is next-level factory automation, and it’s all thanks to their BrainNet system—a super-brain that makes these bots work together like synchronized swimmers (but with fewer sequins).
How it works:
The Super Brain: Think of it as an AI-powered boss, making big-picture decisions.
The Intelligent Sub-Brain: More like a middle manager, handling detailed coordination.
The Internet of Humanoids (IoH): A nerve center where these bots gossip… I mean, share real-time data to optimize tasks.
Real-world flex:
At ZEEKR’s factory, UBTECH’s humanoids are already sorting parts, carrying heavy loads, and assembling tiny, delicate components without breaking a sweat (or anything else). Using vision-based AI, reinforcement learning, and precise dexterous hands, they’re basically the ultimate factory workers—no coffee breaks needed.
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The Future of Massages is… Robots?
Aescape just raised a casual $83 million to make sure your next deep-tissue massage comes with a side of AI. That brings their total funding to $128M, which is about 127.99M more than I have in my bank account right now.
What are they building? A fully autonomous, AI-powered massage bot that personalizes every session using 1.2 million data points—because apparently, your muscles need more analytics than a Super Bowl halftime ad campaign.
The tech is already rolling out in Equinox gyms, luxury hotels, and pro sports facilities, proving that if you’re rich, sore, and pressed for time, robots have officially got your back—literally.
And investors are all in. Even NBA champ Kevin Love has thrown money at it, probably because he knows firsthand what it’s like to be repeatedly slammed to the floor and desperately need a massage.
But working with the human body ain't no joke. Every body is different, and even though 1.2 million points might sound impressive, I still feel like massage is something best left to people who can actually read what's going on in our bodies and work with it.
Robot massages?
Yeah, but only for relaxation!
Nomagic Just Raised $44M—And Your Amazon Packages Might Never Be the Same
Nomagic, the Polish AI-powered robot startup, just bagged a cool $44 million in funding. That’s $74M total so far. Not bad for a bunch of robots who can’t even complain about long shifts.
So, what’s next? The company is ramping up hiring in Warsaw, expanding to the U.S. and Europe, and—get this—developing AI that lets you tell a robot what to do like it’s your overenthusiastic intern.
Their subscription-based robot warehouse solutions are already making waves. They grew 220% in 2024 and are gunning for another 200% in 2025 - faster than your Wi-Fi drops during a Zoom call.
Założyciele Nomagic: Kacper Nowicki, Marek Cygan, Tristan d'Orgeval / Fot. materiały prasowe
The big players are paying attention: investors like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Khosla Ventures, and Snowflake’s co-founder just threw in their chips. And Nomagic isn’t stopping there—they’re already sealing deals in Germany, Norway, and Spain with hopes of cracking the UK market soon.
But the real kicker? They’re developing AI-driven neural networks that let robots understand language commands. We’re not saying we’re one step closer to having robot assistants that actually get us, but… okay, we’re saying it.
TL;DR: Nomagic is making warehouses smarter, robots better, and their bank account much, much bigger. And honestly? That’s the kind of automation we can get behind.
That's all for today, Folks,
Take care this week!
Jacek
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