Technologies and Applications of Robots in Dementia Care: A Systematic Review

Socially assistive robotics (SARs) can provide social interventions for people living with dementia. Although several SARs have been introduced, the absence of their evaluation and discussion has restricted the development and use of robots in dementia care. This paper systematically reviews robot technologies, explores their applications, and provides systematic information for technology development, selection, and implementation for robots in dementia care. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, articles from January 1990 to May 2023 were retrieved from seven databases and 38 eligible articles were identified. Nineteen SARs were identified and reviewed, encompassing physical features, sensing capabilities, perception, user modeling, and interaction technologies. The robot personality framework, which classified SARs as animal-like, human-like, and artificial-being, was employed to compare technologies, applications, and clinical outcomes. In addition, the experimental methodologies and study quality of existing studies were compared and discussed. This study found that technologies shape the robot’s personality and contribute to its applications. Future studies could be based on their application purpose, which could guide the selection, development, and implementation of robot technologies, thereby promoting SAR applications in dementia care. In addition, studies with large sample sizes, rigorous study designs, and detailed intervention descriptions are recommended, which could enhance study quality and promote robot technologies and applications in dementia care.