AI and Human-Robot Interaction in Healthcare: A Narrative Review
Keywords:
HRI, Human-robot interaction, AI, Artificial Intelligence, human-robot, AI-driven robots, human-robot interactionAbstract
Human Robot Interaction (HRI) is an interdisciplinary field that explores the dynamic relationships between humans and robotic systems across social, cognitive, ethical, and technical dimensions. This review synthesises advantages and challenges emerging in HRI in the field of healthcare, categorising the literature into various thematic areas like social interaction and emotional engagement in children, mitigating social isolation in elderly, ethical considerations, combating overburdened healthcare workers, rehabilitative robots, surgical robots and eventually increasing the efficiency of workflow in hospitals. Foundational works establish the significance of autonomy, collaboration, and multimodality. At the same time, recent studies emphasise the importance of empathy, user acceptance, and the nuanced effects of robots in social and domestic settings. Ethical analyses highlight both the benefits and potential psychological risks of human–robot relationships, particularly in vulnerable populations such as older adults. Application-based research further underscores the role of robots in service, healthcare, and hospitality environments. Affective computing helps create systems that understand emotions, making interactions with technology feel more natural and human-like. Together, these insights chart a comprehensive landscape of HRI, informing the benefits and risks of socially and ethically responsible robotic agents.
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