Tactile Interaction with Socially Assistive Robots for Children with Physical Disabilities.

Pirborj, LM; Mills, C; Gorkin, R; Thiyagarajan, K

Tactile Interaction with Socially Assistive Robots for Children with Physical Disabilities.

Pirborj, LM Mills, C Gorkin, R Thiyagarajan, K

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Publisher:: MDPI
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Sensors (Basel), 2025, 25, (13), pp. 4215
Issue Date:: 2025-07-06

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Pirborj, LM
dc.contributor.author	Mills, C
dc.contributor.author	Gorkin, R
dc.contributor.author	Thiyagarajan, K https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4044-1711
dc.date.accessioned	2025-12-19T04:57:43Z
dc.date.available	2025-06-27
dc.date.available	2025-12-19T04:57:43Z
dc.date.issued	2025-07-06
dc.identifier.citation	Sensors (Basel), 2025, 25, (13), pp. 4215
dc.identifier.issn	1424-8220
dc.identifier.issn	1424-8220
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/191039
dc.description.abstract	Children with physical disabilities are increasingly using socially assistive robots (SARs) as part of therapy to enhance motivation, engagement, enjoyment, and adherence. Research on SARs in rehabilitation has primarily focused on verbal and visual interaction, but little is known about tactile interaction (physical touch). The objective of this scoping review was to examine empirical studies published between 2010 and 2024 focusing on tactile interaction between SARs and children with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy (CP). Nine studies were identified as being eligible after a rigorous selection process, showing that although touch-based SAR interventions have been used in pediatric rehabilitation, structured methodologies and standardized tools are lacking for measuring tactile engagement. In light of the studies' findings, it is evident that few studies evaluate the therapeutic effects of touch-sensitive SARs, underscoring the need for validated frameworks to assess their efficacy. In this review, SAR and tactile sensing researchers, rehabilitation specialists, and designers are given critical insights into how tactile interaction can enhance the role of SARs in physical therapy.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.ispartof	Sensors (Basel)
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/s25134215
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	0301 Analytical Chemistry, 0502 Environmental Science and Management, 0602 Ecology, 0805 Distributed Computing, 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Analytical Chemistry
dc.subject.classification	3103 Ecology
dc.subject.classification	4008 Electrical engineering
dc.subject.classification	4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
dc.subject.classification	4104 Environmental management
dc.subject.classification	4606 Distributed computing and systems software
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Robotics
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Touch
dc.subject.mesh	Cerebral Palsy
dc.subject.mesh	Children with Disabilities
dc.subject.mesh	Self-Help Devices
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Cerebral Palsy
dc.subject.mesh	Self-Help Devices
dc.subject.mesh	Touch
dc.subject.mesh	Robotics
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Children with Disabilities
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Robotics
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Touch
dc.subject.mesh	Cerebral Palsy
dc.subject.mesh	Children with Disabilities
dc.subject.mesh	Self-Help Devices
dc.title	Tactile Interaction with Socially Assistive Robots for Children with Physical Disabilities.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	25
utslib.location.activity	Switzerland
utslib.for	0301 Analytical Chemistry
utslib.for	0502 Environmental Science and Management
utslib.for	0602 Ecology
utslib.for	0805 Distributed Computing
utslib.for	0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-12-19T04:57:39Z
pubs.issue	13
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	25
utslib.citation.issue	13

Abstract:

Children with physical disabilities are increasingly using socially assistive robots (SARs) as part of therapy to enhance motivation, engagement, enjoyment, and adherence. Research on SARs in rehabilitation has primarily focused on verbal and visual interaction, but little is known about tactile interaction (physical touch). The objective of this scoping review was to examine empirical studies published between 2010 and 2024 focusing on tactile interaction between SARs and children with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy (CP). Nine studies were identified as being eligible after a rigorous selection process, showing that although touch-based SAR interventions have been used in pediatric rehabilitation, structured methodologies and standardized tools are lacking for measuring tactile engagement. In light of the studies' findings, it is evident that few studies evaluate the therapeutic effects of touch-sensitive SARs, underscoring the need for validated frameworks to assess their efficacy. In this review, SAR and tactile sensing researchers, rehabilitation specialists, and designers are given critical insights into how tactile interaction can enhance the role of SARs in physical therapy.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/191039