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. Instead, the key was my finger, and the big box was one of two robots from the robotics company Clockwork.Ĭlockwork’s “lab,” a storefront in San Francisco’s hip Marina District, is the first known nail salon to feature any robot nail techs. 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. It wasn’t even painting as much as calculated squirting, since there wasn’t a brush.Īfter about 10 minutes of inserting and re-inserting my fingers into the machine, my fingertips were neatly and consistently polished. But the tube only started painting after I clearly said, “Ready” - or hit a button on the touchscreen - with my hand in position, making sure to keep still. Then a small tube of purple-gray polish that I had loaded into a front-facing compartment like a printer cartridge started “painting” my nails one by one in a circular pattern. Instead, the experience felt more like inserting my hand into a 3D printer.Ĭameras inside an oversized microwave-like purple box scanned each fingernail. Let me stop you before you envision a bipedal humanoid carefully dipping a brush into a bottle and lacquering my nails.
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