Therapeutic Applications of Social Robots in Rehabilitation

Therapeutic Applications of Social Robots in Rehabilitation

Radhika Mahajan, Manoj Kumar, Ashima Bhatnagar Bhatia, Pawan Whig
Copyright: © 2023 |Pages: 35
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-8171-4.ch005
OnDemand:
(Individual Chapters)
Available
$37.50
No Current Special Offers
TOTAL SAVINGS: $37.50

Abstract

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 has produced a wide range of innovative possibilities for the employment of artificial intelligence and computer-guided devices in rehabilitation. In recent times, medical field has shown a keen interest in Human-Robot Interventions (HRI) due to their application in treatment and rehabilitation of various diseases. Social robots are designed to interact with people in a manner that is consistent with human social psychology because of their capacity to elicit social and emotional responses from users. They work in a human-centric environment by speaking, moving, making gestures, or utilizing facial expressions to communicate with their users while adhering to a set of social norms. We outline some intriguing possibilities for social robots in healthcare-related applications in this chapter. Some of these include treatment of social anxiety, dementia, autism spectrum disorder, depression, alzheimer's disease, anorexia nervosa, neurodevelopmental issues, cancer, diabetes and upper limb rehabilitation after stroke.
Chapter Preview
Top

Robotics In Healthcare And Robotics Taxonomy

Rehabilitation Technologies

According to Zhang et al. (2013), who made the initial claim, it is impossible to determine the efficacy of a robot-assisted rehabilitation intervention since there are no common assessment criteria and metrics for the numerous robotics devices and control schemes. However, the scientific health care development fundamental these belongings is still unwell unspoken. Robots are also believed to increase the amount of rehabilitation exercises. Robotic intervention and conventional therapy have no statistically significant differences (Babaiasl et al., 2016; Bustamante Valles et al., 2016; Piau,, 2019; Schröder et al., 2019; Breazeal, 2011; Frennert & Östlund, 2014; González-González et al., 2021; Rasouli et al., 2022).

Perhaps tritely, a study can assert that robot assisted rehabilitation can encourage CVA patients' return to their families and society by improving their lower limb recovery (Li et al., 2014; Heerink et al., 2016). We contend, however, that previous research has had difficulty demonstrating the societal impact of mechanical, digital, and assistive robots. Shamsuddin and others

Without offering any supporting data or critical societal consequences, (Shamsuddin, 2017; Fosch-Villaronga et al., 2019) asserts that “a robotic animal is the solution to provide constant mental support and create warm and compassionate feelings from the sufferers.” Studies from the past and present have gaps since they don't use interdisciplinary methods to assess the true societal impact of rehabilitation robots. These assistive technologies may aid in rehabilitating a CVA patient's physical function, but until the robots significantly enhance the social lives of the patients, they remain a cold and uninteresting technology and cannot be considered true social robots (Vincent & Law, 2015; Góngora Alonso et al., 2018). For instance, rehabilitation robotics is a fascinating area of research that is moving away from the promotion of mobility and toward the socialising of infants and toddlers (Agrawal, 2018; Scassellati et al., 2018). Given the silo-disciplinary character of earlier studies, it is unclear how far this transition goes beyond the surface level.

Can Robots Give You Back Your Life? Recommendations and Controversial Items

Empirical case studies from around the world showed some highly effective rehabilitation robots. Example Zora for the elderly (Tuisku et al., 2018), SAR for pediatric therpy of children (Carrillo, 2018), SLT for cerebral palsy and developing communication skills (Niyetkaliyev et al., 2017), Makro for disorders realted to motion.

These reasoning Automaton Enduring connections for speech and cognitive therapy appear to be restricted to geriatric or paediatric requests. Only a small number of research have compared across countries or addressed a wider demography. The current state of research makes it difficult to determine if the attention being paid to these two groups is due to the fact that they have the greatest medical needs, or whether it is purely a coincidence of researchers' incidental interests.

Future studies, according to Belda-Lois et al. (2011), should evaluate and maximise the effects of rehabilitation using different signals. In the field of rehabilitative robotics, brain-machine interfaces (BMI) are currently a popular topic (Khan & Hong, 2017; Tang et al., 2017). According to Miao et al. (2018), controlling physiological signals is an efficient method of preventing laziness and providing support.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Alzheimer's Disease: It is a brain ailment that gradually damages memory and thinking skills, as well as the capacity to do the most basic tasks.

Anorexia Nervosa: It is a serious and potentially life-threatening psychological and eating illness that is curable. It is distinguished by severe food restriction and an acute dread of gaining weight.

Social Robot: A social robot is a self-aware robot that interacts and communicates with people or other autonomous physical agents by adhering to social behaviours and rules specific to its job.

Cerebral Palsy: It is a collection of disorders that impair a person's ability to move, balance, and maintain posture

Social Psychology: The scientific study of how ideas, feelings, and behaviours are impacted by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social standards is known as social psychology.

Humanoid: A humanoid is a nonhuman creature that resembles or acts like a human being, such as a robot.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: It is a developmental impairment caused by brain differences due to which patients struggle with social communication and interaction, as well as confined or repetitive habits or hobbies.

Rehabilitation: It is the process of returning someone to health or a regular life following incarceration, addiction, or sickness through training and counseling.

Dementia: It is a condition characterized by progressive or persistent loss of intellectual ability, particularly impairment of memory and abstract reasoning, and frequently by personality change, as a result of organic brain disease.

Social Anxiety: It is characterized by an intense and persistent fear of being observed and judged by others.

Complete Chapter List

Search this Book:
Reset