Future Day Spa

Personalised, guided experience, offering treatments that evoke states of love, trust & relaxation.

The Future Day Spa is a personlised, physiological experience delivering controlled vacuum pressure to the body replicating the feeling of being hugged. Guided by a therapist, participants hand their bodies over to a part–human, part–machine process inducing a state of relaxation. A collaboration between Qualcomm's Inventor Lab, we integrated technologies for capturing biometric data to understand the physiological benefits of a treatment. Trialled on over 100 individuals at LA's re/code conference, one participant disclosed he denies himself physical contact with other humans, and at the end of his treatment responded (surprisingly) by hugging his therapist. Denying oneself of touch silences the release of oxytocin in the brain; a hormone said to be involved in social recognition and the formation of trust between people. Originally designed to prepare the body for space, this unexpected response has raised parallels between behavioural effects of triggering oxytocin and possible applications the Future Day Spa could have on treating social isolation, autistic spectrums and depression.

2015. Science Fiction Wellness – Replicating the feeling of being hugged, audiences temporarily hand their bodies over to a part–human, part–machine process that induces the body into a state of relaxation.

Guided by a therapist, participants enter a clean room and lay down underneath a pressurised sheet, as a controlled vacuum is applied to the entire body. Biometric technologies are integrated into each treatment capturing physiological changes to the body. Clients review their depth of their relaxation and how they compared to previous visitors.

The emotional changes brought on by restricted movement moves this work into the “market of pleasure” – Could new kinds of isolation be developed to treat spectrums of autism? Whether it’s ridding hangovers or treating social isolation, transcending people has great value.

Over 100 clients have been treated, some saying “it got rid of hangovers”, “felt like I was back inside the womb”. One client disclosed he suffered haphephobia; a fear being touched, and said it “felt like an embrace and could he take one home?” After his treatment, he responded, by hugging his therapist (the artist).