![]() ![]() For the beauty industry (Opens in a new tab), robots have typically been more involved in cosmetics production as opposed to providing the services. Automation is coming for more and more jobs in trucking, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare: as many as 20 million by 2030, according to a study from Oxford Economics. Now salons are reopening, and there's even more competition - from a contact-free nail technician that doesn't want your tip and isn't poisoned by salon fumes and chemicals. During the COVID pandemic, as many as 80 percent of nail salon workers in the city didn't qualify for federal assistance even though most salons shut down, permanently closed, or drastically cut hours, as Allure (Opens in a new tab) magazine reported (Opens in a new tab). In New York City alone, there are more than 4,000 salons, according to the New York Nail Salon Workers Association (Opens in a new tab). It can be awkward to pay someone to pamper you for this purely aesthetic, unnecessary beauty ritual.īut the nail industry is also a major job source, even if it's a dangerous workplace (Opens in a new tab), especially for undocumented workers. ![]() It takes time (about an hour) and requires a person to deal with your fingers and nail clippings and the grime underneath your nails. You're lucky to find a traditional manicure in a city like San Francisco for $15, not including a tip. (The workers assured me that each manicure uses a high-quality polish like Essie, OPI, and Sally Hansen.) It was almost too easy, too fast, too efficient, too cheap. Credit: Valentin Mahé-Duverger / mashableīut the whole thing cost just $7.99, pre-paid online or at the store through a digital wallet. The nails you came in with will look and feel the same on the way out, just with some color on them. And there are no hand massages with lots of lotion. There's a single coat of polish, and no nail clipping, trimming, cuticle removal, buffing, or filing. This is a bare-bones manicure: no pedicures, gel paint, acrylics, designs, or French tips. I'd also know how to position my hands so that my painted thumb wouldn't nick the side of the hand rest in the future. The next time I wouldn't be distracted by the novelty of the machine and human-free process. I'd be in and out within roughly 10 minutes, not including the time to let my nails air dry. It was faster, so exacting, and more consistent, with no stroke lines compared to a traditional manicure.Įventually I would be a pro, I imagined, with no need for a human to remove the paint for a re-do like I needed on one of my smudged thumbs after the robot painted it. I was impressed, not just with the low price but also the efficiency. By the time I inserted my last pinky into the soft plastic strap used to keep each finger in the right spot and grabbed the hand rest that I clicked into place for each finger, I was already envisioning coming back for another manicure. With 10 fingers, you have enough time to get into the rhythm and cadence of the robotic dance. For instance, when I sat waiting for the tube to start painting but hadn't pushed my finger far enough into the hand slot, the humans gave a helpful nudge or suggestion: "Just a bit more until you hear the click." The robot doesn't have that personal touch. Even though the machines' screens clearly explain what to do, taking you through each step on how to position your hands and fingers, some guidance from the humans helped things run more smoothly. Near the two humans, the two Clockwork machines sat on tables across from each other. If any customers came in with old polish, these two helped remove it. Two Clockwork employees, including the recently hired director of business development and operations, Tracy Torhan, welcomed guests, helped us select from 10 color options (ranging from dark reds to bright blues and greens), and explained how everything worked. This robotic experience wasn't devoid of human contact. It's something of a pop-up for at least the next few months as the company tests the machines. (Opens in a new tab)Ĭlockwork's "lab," a storefront in San Francisco's hip Marina District, is the first known nail salon to feature any robot nail techs. Instead, the key was my finger, and the big box was one of two robots from the robotics company Clockwork. The process reminded me of those key-copying machines at home improvement stores, where you stick in your key and after some noise and moving parts, you have a new copy. Credit: Valentin Mahé-Duverger / mashableĪfter about 10 minutes of inserting and re-inserting my fingers into the machine, my fingertips were neatly and consistently polished. When robots take over your beauty routine.
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