Massage Chair Dreams of Becoming Iron Man

Bodyfriend 'Phantom Robo'
Independent Movement of Both Legs
Technical Research Center Director An Sang-jun
"The First Stage of Robot Form Evolution"

Sangjun Ahn, Head of Bodyfriend Smart Living Technology Research Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] "The future of massage chairs is Iron Man."

Sangjun Ahn, head of the Smart Living Technology Research Lab at Bodyfriend (44, photo), said, "Massage chairs will ultimately evolve into robot forms that can freely move the entire body, including the arms and legs." He leads the team at Bodyfriend, the global number one massage chair company, that physically realizes massage chairs and develops the software and hardware to be installed in them.

The next-generation massage chair currently being developed by Ahn at Bodyfriend is called the ‘Phantom Robo.’ This product is a healthcare robot massage chair created with about 5 billion KRW in R&D investment under the company slogan of ‘Extending human healthy lifespan by 10 years.’ Ahn emphasized, "It is the first massage chair developed to allow both legs to move freely up and down," adding, "It is the first step in the evolution of massage chairs into robot forms."

He began developing this product two years ago. Collaborating with the Medical R&D Center and Design Lab within Bodyfriend, Ahn created a mockup and applied IT technology. To specialize this product in joint exercise and muscle stretching within healthcare, he sought multiple consultations from orthopedic surgeons affiliated with the Medical Center. Since the legs move, the usual five safety sensors were significantly increased to 15 to prepare for any possible safety accidents. Ahn said, "At first, even within the company, there was skepticism about the significance of moving legs in a massage chair," but he added, "However, once testing began and the effects were verified, and it was realized that it could be applied to other types of massage chairs, I received a lot of encouragement."

'Phantom Robo' developed by Ahn Sang-jun, Head of the Smart Living Technology Research Institute at Bodyfriend. It is the first massage chair with legs that move up and down.

Ahn said that Bodyfriend’s corporate culture also played a part in enabling him to boldly challenge technology development. Among Bodyfriend’s internal reward systems is an award called the ‘Failure Award for Great Success.’ Even if the expected results were not achieved, it was established to recognize past contributions and encourage further growth. Last year, three people received this award. Ahn said, "It is an award created to mean that the organization should not fear failure but boldly challenge," adding, "Thanks to this culture, employees can develop technology with confidence."

Bodyfriend exhibited the Phantom Robo at CES 2022, the world’s largest electronics exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA, last January. It is reported that the booth attracted high interest as many visitors experienced the Phantom Robo.

Ahn Sang-jun, Head of Bodyfriend Smart Living Technology Research Center

Bodyfriend plans to establish the Phantom Robo in the massage market this year and upgrade it next year to allow the arms to move freely as well. Ahn said, "Our goal at the ‘2023 CES’ next year is to showcase a robot-type massage chair with fully independent arm and leg movements," expressing hope that "this will also enable expansion into the rehabilitation treatment field."

He is currently developing a system where users and massage chairs can mutually exchange health-related information. Through artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, the massage chair will check the user’s health information and device status and provide medical information or component lifespan notifications. Ahn said, "We are also considering developing technology that links the user’s wearable device with the massage chair so that AI automatically recommends massage courses tailored to the user’s body shape, health condition, and age," adding, "The ultimate goal is to create a product that takes care of all matters related to physical health just by sitting in the massage chair."

This plan reflects Bodyfriend’s business direction, expanding from simple massage chairs to the ‘healthcare’ medical device field. Bodyfriend is currently preparing to launch new products equipped with technologies that measure body composition, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and more, including the Phantom Robo. Based on these products, the company plans to actively target the Chinese and U.S. markets.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.