TY - JOUR
T1 - Advancements in Assistive Robotics
T2 - A Systematic Review of Inclusive Technologies for People With Disabilities
AU - Zapata, Mireya
AU - Guevara, Diego
AU - Obregon, Jennifer
AU - Arias-Flores, Hugo
AU - Ramos-Galarza, Carlos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 IEEE.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - According to the World Health Organization, approximately 16% of the global population lives with some form of disability, be it physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychosocial. Individuals with disabilities face numerous challenges related to mobility, communication, access to education, and other essential aspects of daily life. In this context, robotic technologies have emerged as innovative solutions aimed at improving autonomy, rehabilitation, and social inclusion. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and synthesize the scientific evidence on robotic technologies developed to support people with disabilities. More specifically, the review sought to analyze the temporal and geographical distribution of research, classify the types of robotic technologies and their applications, examine methodological characteristics and participant demographics, and highlight the key contributions and gaps reported in the included studies. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and IEEE Xplore. From an initial pool of 6,290 articles, 89 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The results were categorized into five main themes: publication trends, types of robotic technologies and applications, methodological characteristics, participant demographics, and key contributions. The findings reveal a strong concentration of research on articulated robots for physical disabilities, alongside limited exploration of intellectual, sensory, and psychosocial contexts. While robotic interventions demonstrate significant potential for rehabilitation and daily assistance, challenges remain regarding sample sizes, diversity of disabilities addressed, and long-term validation studies. This review contributes to a deeper understanding of the state of the art in assistive robotics and identifies future research directions to enhance inclusion, accessibility, and clinical integration.
AB - According to the World Health Organization, approximately 16% of the global population lives with some form of disability, be it physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychosocial. Individuals with disabilities face numerous challenges related to mobility, communication, access to education, and other essential aspects of daily life. In this context, robotic technologies have emerged as innovative solutions aimed at improving autonomy, rehabilitation, and social inclusion. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and synthesize the scientific evidence on robotic technologies developed to support people with disabilities. More specifically, the review sought to analyze the temporal and geographical distribution of research, classify the types of robotic technologies and their applications, examine methodological characteristics and participant demographics, and highlight the key contributions and gaps reported in the included studies. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and IEEE Xplore. From an initial pool of 6,290 articles, 89 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The results were categorized into five main themes: publication trends, types of robotic technologies and applications, methodological characteristics, participant demographics, and key contributions. The findings reveal a strong concentration of research on articulated robots for physical disabilities, alongside limited exploration of intellectual, sensory, and psychosocial contexts. While robotic interventions demonstrate significant potential for rehabilitation and daily assistance, challenges remain regarding sample sizes, diversity of disabilities addressed, and long-term validation studies. This review contributes to a deeper understanding of the state of the art in assistive robotics and identifies future research directions to enhance inclusion, accessibility, and clinical integration.
KW - Assistive robotics
KW - disability support technologies
KW - human-robot interaction
KW - inclusive technology
KW - systematic review
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015464432
U2 - 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3608614
DO - 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3608614
M3 - Artículo de revisión
AN - SCOPUS:105015464432
SN - 2169-3536
VL - 13
SP - 171871
EP - 171888
JO - IEEE Access
JF - IEEE Access
ER -