New Perspectives on Human–Robot Interactions in Rehabilitation and Assistance
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Robotics and Automation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 197
Special Issue Editors
Interests: assistive robots; human–robot interactions; object affordance detection
Interests: mobile robot positioning; mapping and navigation technology; intelligent robot control technology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In today's world, the aging population is growing, and the number of people with disabilities is significant. It has placed unprecedented demands on healthcare and caregiving systems worldwide. Rehabilitation and assistive robotics have emerged as transformative technologies, offering the potential to enhance the autonomy and quality of life for elderly and disabled individuals. However, despite significant advancements, critical challenges remain in enabling these users to interact with robotic systems in a seamless, intuitive, and minimally burdensome manner.
A key challenge lies in the development of human–robot interactions (HRI) paradigms that accommodate the diverse and often complex needs of users with physical, cognitive, or sensory impairments. For instance, users with speech difficulties, limited fine motor skills, or upper limb impairments may struggle to convey their intentions effectively, hindering their ability to independently control robotic systems. To address these challenges, innovative approaches are needed in areas such as intention recognition, human–robot interaction (HRI) methods, autonomous task planning, and any other assistive technologies. These advancements must prioritize reducing the cognitive and physical burden on users.
Dr. Yaxin Liu
Prof. Dr. Bo Huang
Dr. Ming Zhong
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- rehabilitation and assistance robots
- assistive technologies for people with verbal communication difficulties
- novel human–robot interaction (HRI) methods
- intention recognition
- object affordance detection
- artificial intelligence
- robotic assistance
- rehabilitation
- human-in-the-loop
- care robotics
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