What Are Inada Intelligent Programs?
To be sure, all Inada massage chairs give you detailed control of your massage when you want it. If you'd like the rollers to run up and down your back just so, your wish is Inada's command -- flip open the controller and you can set how wide to reach (lateral control), how far along your spine to travel (vertical control), what you want it to do (massage technique choice) and then use the 3D function to tell it how deep into your back to push (depth control). Sometimes, when you've got that one really tight spot in your back, this type of fine-grained control is exactly what you need. But isn't that a lot to think about when all you want to do is relax?
Inada has collaborated with 7 universities and 10 medical institutes (in addition to its 100 full time technical staff) to design accurate, thoughtful, and most of all, intelligent automatic massage programs. Most people use these automatic programs 99% of the time they're in the chair. You just sit down, press a button, and enjoy the ride.
...How do they work?
Dr. Hideyo Matsuura of the Inada Product Development Team collaborating with engineers to design new massage functionality.
The automatic programs may seem simple, but behind the scenes, there's more going on. First, the massage chair performs an infrared scan of your back and compares your body with 106 stored profiles in order to accurately target your acupressure points (this system of analysis and targeting was invented by Inada's in-house Shiatsu experts in 1999). Then, how does the chair know what to do? It doesn't just move at random; in fact, each movement is following a course laid out by Inada's Shiatsu experts, according to the most effective known human massage techniques.
This has been Inada's direction of massage chair development since they invented the first massage chair in 1962. While massage techniques don't change much over the years, technology most certainly does, and that's why so many of Inada's technical staff are engineers: problem-solvers who use the latest advances in robotics, materials, and manufacturing to make the Shiatsu therapist's dreams a physical reality. So when you are sitting in your Inada chair, remember that your massage experience is actually the result of more than 47 years of unbroken thought, research, and experimentation by the dedicated team in Osaka!
Okay, I'm ready to learn about 3A's programs!
The Inada 3A has 12 automatic programs in total, each with a different purpose, and each can be launched with the touch of a button. Many are fairly self-explanatory. So without further adieu, here they are:
Health Programs:
Full Body: Recommended for when you're feeling fatigued or lack energy, and want to feel refreshed and revitalized. Like all automatic programs, it is designed to be used in full, from start to finish, for maximum benefit.
Shoulder: Use this program to relieve stiffness in the shoulders and neck. Shoulder massage is one of the big strengths of the 3A, thanks to the air-driven Shoulder Grip in the front of the chair.
Lower Back: Whether it's from standing all day at work or playing sports, many of us have tension and pain in our lower back. This program focuses in on that difficult area.
Stretch (High): A thorough stretch of the entire body. Increase flexibility and improve your posture. Full-body stretch is one of the most exciting new features in the 3A, and this program is the way to experience it.
Stretch (Low): It's similar to the Stretch (High) program, but less intense, in case you're wanting something more gentle or your body is feeling particularly tender.
Seat: A massage for the lower half of your body, focusing on the pelvis and posterior.
Swing: Another first with the 3A, the swing program provides relaxation by simulating a cradle with its lower-body air cells.
Quick Programs: The 3 quick programs focus on the same areas as standard programs, but they're only 8 minutes long (compared to the standard 15 minutes), so you can use them when you only have a little bit of free time.
Full Body Shoulder Lower Back
Specialized Programs:
Seniors: An especially soft and slow massage for the elderly.
Youth: A low impact massage to relieve muscle stress and fatigue in young adults over the age of 14.
Next: Specifications
